The Human Rights Monitoring Institute, together with independent experts, has prepared the 12th Review of the Human Rights Situation in Lithuania, analysing the situation in the country in 2022-2023. The Review provides a detailed analysis of the state of human rights protection in Lithuania, the situation of vulnerable groups, changes in the legal framework, the overall progress or regression in the areas analysed, and offers recommendations on how to improve the situation.
Overview of human rights in Lithuania 2022-2023
The human rights situation in Lithuania in 2022-2023 was complex and faced various challenges. While progress has been made in some areas, many significant challenges remain.
Discrimination remains a pressing issue, covering gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age and religion. Gender inequalities are particularly visible in the pay gap, and in women’s lower participation in politics and leadership positions. Women face stereotypical gender roles that hinder their access to the labour market and to social activities. The LGBTQ+ community faces unresolved legal issues, such as the Partnership Law, and persistent discrimination in public life and educational institutions. Age discrimination also remains a significant problem. Older people often face labour market barriers and social exclusion, while accelerating digitalisation makes their integration into the labour market and society even more difficult.
Hate crime and hate speech also remain important issues. While there has been a marked increase in law enforcement competences, the decrease in the number of reported hate crimes may reflect an insufficiently effective system of recording incidents, or a decrease in the confidence of victims in law enforcement. Law enforcement still lacks personnel and financial resources in this area, and the use of dehumanising and hateful rhetoric in politics is common, which not only fosters divisions in society but also hinders the effective handling of hate speech issues.
Domestic violence is a serious concern. The decline in reported violence may reflect a lack of trust in law enforcement or insufficient support for victims. Although new legislation such as the Law on Protection against Domestic Violence offers some improvements, it does not sufficiently take into account the recommendations of NGOs and independent experts. Moreover, there is still a lack of public awareness of the nature of domestic violence and its long-term consequences. The provision of sexual consent, although relevant, has not been supported by the public, which points to the need for more education on this topic.
Reproductive rights in Lithuania face challenges such as limited sex education, lack of information on contraception and inadequate health care for young people. Despite the legality of abortion, access to these services remains limited, especially for vulnerable groups. The lack of sex education in schools leads to high rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, highlighting the need to expand education programmes and improve access to services.
Violations have been reported in the areas of freedom of religion, assembly and expression. New religious communities face regulatory obstacles to their activities, while traditional communities receive more support and privileges. While there are improvements in the enforcement of freedom of assembly, there are still cases of inadequate enforcement of this right, in particular in the case of protests, where conflicts between participants are not adequately addressed. Freedom of expression is sometimes restricted in the context of the fight against disinformation, which in some cases may run counter to democratic values and lead to a crisis of confidence in public institutions.
Migration policy and refugee rights remain complex issues. Lithuania has applied harsh measures to migrants, often without respecting international human rights standards, which has drawn criticism from international organisations. Refugee integration measures are fragmented and have limited impact, especially for Belarusian and Ukrainian nationals. Inadequate access to housing, barriers to labour market inclusion and lack of language training services make it difficult for these people to integrate successfully into society.
The right to a fair trial also faces challenges. The protection of victims’ rights is fragmented and uneven across regions, making it difficult to provide assistance to those who need it most.
The system of re-socialisation of convicts lacks coherence and a clear strategy. Parole procedures are not uniform and the involvement of prisoners in resocialisation programmes remains limited. Human rights violations in Lithuanian prisons are a matter of serious concern. Although the number of prisoners has decreased, problems such as violence, hierarchical structures, the prevalence of drugs and a lack of social support remain entrenched. The observations of the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture underline the need to strengthen the skills of staff and improve prison infrastructure to ensure the protection of human rights.
Personal data protection in Lithuania is improving significantly, but there is still a lack of clarity on the compatibility of new EU legislation with the General Data Protection Regulation. In some cases, data protection loopholes are used to restrict access to information, which raises concerns about transparency and undermines the public’s trust in public authorities.
In summary, there is a need for stronger enforcement, public education and institutional strengthening. Overcoming the challenges that exist requires not only better enforcement of legislation but also its integration into everyday life. It is important to foster dialogue between public authorities, NGOs and the public, with a view to greater transparency and mutual understanding. Only the combination of a strong civil society and active politics can ensure the practical implementation of human rights standards in Lithuania. Moreover, it is necessary to strengthen long-term strategies that are not only focused on short-term solutions to problems, but also on sustainable change that allows for the full protection of the rights and dignity of every human being.
