Lithuania: Further information: Lithuanian parliament adopts homophobic law
On 14 June, Lithuania's Parliament voted to overturn the Presidential veto of the “Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information”. The law institutionalizes homophobia and violates the right to freedom of expression and the right to be free from discrimination. It will now enter into force on 1 March 2010.
Further information on UA: 185/09 Index: EUR 53/006/2009 Lithuania Date: 13 July 2009
URGENT ACTION
LITHUANIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS HOMOPHOBIC LAW
On 14 June, Lithuania's Parliament voted to overturn the Presidential veto of the “Law on the
Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information”. The law
institutionalizes homophobia and violates the right to freedom of expression and the right to be
free from discrimination. It will now enter into force on 1 March 2010.
The “Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information” was initially approved
by the Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament) on 16 June but was vetoed by the Lithuanian President on 26 June. With a
majority of the 140 Seimas representatives required to overcome the Presidential veto, 87 parliamentarians voted
in favour. 25 parliamentarians abstained and only six voted against the law.
This law prohibits material “that agitate (sic) for homosexual, bisexual and polygamous relations” on the basis that
it causes “detrimental effect to the development of minors”. It classes homosexuality alongside issues such as the
portrayal of physical or psychological violence, the display of a dead or cruelly mutilated body of a person, and
information that arouses fear or horror, or encourages self-mutilation or suicide. This effectively institutionalizes
homophobia and violates the right to freedom of expression and the right to be free from discrimination. Amnesty
International is also concerned that this amendment could be used to restrict the work of human rights defenders
working on issues of human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity.
In spite of this homophobic clause, the law does specify that information having a detrimental effect on the
development of children includes mocking people’s nationality, race, sex, origins, disability, sexual orientation,
social status, language, religion, beliefs and attitudes.
Amnesty International will continue to monitor the situation in Lithuania. Further homophobic legislative
amendments will probably be considered during the next Parliamentary session beginning in September. Amnesty
International will take action on these developments, which will also provide further opportunities to raise our
concerns about this particular law.
We would like to thank all those who participated in this action. No further appeals are
requested at present.
This is the first update of UA:185/09 (EUR 53/004/2009)
Further information:
www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/EUR53/004/2009/en
Date: 13 July 2009
URGENT ACTION
Further Information on UA: 185/09 Index: EUR 53/006/2009 Issue Date: 13 July 2009