Belarusian human rights activist denied asylum over “security concerns”

Introduction

More border crossing closures around Belarus

On 16th August 2023, the Lithuanian government announced the closure of two out of the country's six border crossing points with Belarus, citing “geopolitical circumstances”. Subsequently, it became known that the interior ministry plans to recommend the closure of two additional crossings, namely Lavoriškės and Raigardas. This decision follows claims by the Lithuanian government that around 4,500 mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group had relocated to Belarus.

The Foreign Ministry has advised against travelling to Belarus in recent weeks, citing security concerns. The Belarusian border guard accuses Lithuania of erecting artificial barriers for political reasons under the pretext of security threats, including the presence of Wagner in Belarus.

This step is in line with a regional trend, as neighbouring Poland had already closed most of its border crossings with Belarus at the beginning of the year. In September 2023, Latvia, the third EU country bordering Belarus, also closed one of the two border crossings between the two countries. Citing concerns about illegal immigration attempts, the Latvian defence minister has instructed the army to help secure the border. The Belarusian opposition has called on states in the region to keep humanitarian corridors open, in order to facilitate the transit of people fleeing political repression.

Freedom of Association

Teachers' union continues strike until Seimas adopts budget

In a saga spanning several months, Lithuania has been rocked by teacher strikes triggered by a protracted dispute over salaries and working conditions. The deadlock between educators and the government has prompted more than 2,000 teachers and education workers to take to the picket lines.

While four other unions reached a collective agreement with the government in October after weeks of striking, the Lithuanian Education Workers’ Union opted not to, declaring their intention to resume the strike on 22nd November 2023. Dissatisfied with the agreement that the other unions have signed with the government, which provides for a 21% pay rise in 2024, the Education Workers’ Union is instead campaigning for a 30% increase. They have announced that their strike will continue until the Seimas, the Lithuanian parliament, has passed the budget for the coming year. However, it is uncertain whether the strike will continue beyond the turn of the year.

Over 1000 NGOs and trade unions demand ambitious tax reform

At a press conference on 8 November 2023, eight umbrella organisations representing more than 1,250 civil society actors working in the fields of poverty reduction, social services, education, environmental protection, patients’ and workers’ rights and the rights of people with disabilities made their joint appeal to the highest authorities in Lithuania regarding the planned tax reform in the country.

The appeal aligns with the direction of the proposed tax reform but advocates for a more decisive approach to secure increased financing for public services. Proposed measures include a comprehensive review of excessive tax benefits, the implementation of higher tax rates for combined taxable income from various sources, increased progressivity of the general income tax through additional tax brackets, taxation of luxury property and goods, and stricter measures against VAT evasion and underground economic activities.

During the press conference, participants emphasised the critical need for adequate funding of public services in order to achieve the state's goals in reducing poverty and income inequality. Inga Ruginienė, President of the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation, pointed out the discrepancy between claims of insufficient funding for the public sector and the lack of measures to tax high earners. She criticised proposed measures such as the property tax, which in her opinion would not benefit low earners and could even have a negative impact on them.

The discussion also touched on the impact of insufficient funding on various sectors. Henrika Varnienė, Director of the Lithuanian Disability Organisations Forum, pointed out the challenges faced by people with disabilities and their caregivers due to insufficient funding of social services. Aistė Adomavičienė from the National Network of Poverty Reduction Organisations emphasised the urgency of progressive tax reform in order to achieve the goals of the National Progress Plan by 2025.

Belarusian human rights advocate Olga Karach denied asylum over security concerns

In August 2023, it was reported that Lithuania had refused political asylum to Olga Karach, a prominent Belarusian human rights defender, citing security concerns. Karach, the winner of the 2022 Weimar Human Rights Prize, who is known for her work promoting civil liberties, now faces uncertainty in Lithuania after the authorities categorised her as a “threat to state security”. The reasons given included her previous interview with right-wing populist Russian politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky, and her participation in conferences in Russia. Lithuanian state security accused Karach of cooperating with the Russian secret service, which she denies. Karach, who was blacklisted as a "terrorist" by the Belarusian KGB in 2021, heads the persecuted non-governmental organisation Our House. As her Belarusian passport was revoked in December 2022, the Lithuanian authorities’ refusal to grant Karach asylum underlines the challenges faced by activists in authoritarian regimes.

In early September 2023, the Vilnius Regional Administrative Court ruled that Lithuania's authorities violated Karach’s rights by excessively delaying the processing of her asylum request. The court found that the migration office's failure to make a decision within the legally prescribed six-month period violated the activist's right to timely processing of her asylum application. While the court rejected Karach's claim for EUR 5,000 in damages, it ordered the Migration Department to pay EUR 400 in legal costs.

The court emphasised that lengthy asylum procedures can leave applicants in a legal limbo and underlined the importance of adhering to the time limits set. Karach has expressed her intention to appeal against the decision and her dissatisfaction with the amount of compensation, which she considers insufficient. She also announced that she would submit a detailed monitoring report to the European Commission, pointing out widespread violations of the time limits for processing asylum applications in Lithuania.

Freedom of Assembly

Gaza war sees protests from supporters of both sides

On 19th October 2023, over a hundred people gathered in Vilnius for a solidarity procession in support of the Palestinian victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza. The procession started in Cathedral Square, went along Gedimino Avenue and ended at the government building, where a minute's silence was held. Demonstrators supporting the Palestinian cause carried signs with messages such as “No to apartheid, occupation and war crimes”, “End the occupation”, “Your silence supports the Palestinian genocide” and “Stop the genocide”. At the same time, several Israel supporters also gathered in Cathedral Square, questioning the motivations of those expressing solidarity for the Palestinians. No aggressive confrontations were reported.

Freedom of Expression

Independence of local and regional media under pressure

On 25th October 2023, the Council of Europe published a report entitled “Local and regional media: guardians of democracy, guardians of community cohesion”. The report emphasised that local and regional media in Lithuania and elsewhere are facing increasing pressure on their independence. In addition to Lithuania, it also found in Slovakia and Serbia that opaque ownership structures and the allocation of state advertising funds at local level are a cause for concern.This lack of transparency allows local authorities to directly influence editorial policy through ownership or funding, leading to biassed content.

Lithuania revokes Olympian's citizenship over Kremlin support, others under investigation

On 15th September 2023, President Gitanas Nauseda revoked the citizenship of retired Olympic figure skater Margarita Drobiazko because of her public support for Russia. Originally from Moscow, Drobiazko was granted Lithuanian citizenship in 1993 and represented Lithuania at five Olympic Games with her partner. The decision was made amid increasing tensions between Lithuania and Russia following the latter's invasion of Ukraine. The President's citizenship advisory board voted in favour of revoking her citizenship, citing Drobiazko's cooperation with Russia and her connection to Tatyana Navka, the wife of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Similarly, on 13th November 2023, the Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior instructed the migration authority to initiate proceedings to revoke the Lithuanian citizenship of Russian ballet dancer Ilze Liepa, as her public statements in support of Russia’s war in Ukraine discredited the state. President Nauseda has called for a review of the citizenship of 800 foreigners who have been granted Lithuanian citizenship.

Under Lithuanian law, a dual citizen may be deprived of Lithuanian citizenship previously granted to them “for special services to the country” if it’s determined their actions threaten the country’s security interests or if they publicly express their support for “a state that threatens the security interests of Lithuania or other Member States of the European Union or their allies.”

LGTBQI+ rights

Lithuanian lawmakers reject proposal to repeal controversial “gay propaganda law”

On 26th October 2023, the Lithuanian government began the process of repealing a controversial law commonly referred to as the “gay propaganda law”. The law was enacted in 2009 with the intention of “protecting” minors from information about same-sex marriage and LGBTQI+ issues, and has been criticised for its homophobic nature and restrictions on freedom of expression.

The move to repeal the law stemmed from a recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which found that Lithuania had violated the freedom of expression of writer Neringa Macatė (known by the pen name Neringa Dangvytė) by suspending the publication of her book, Amber Heart.

In response to the ruling, the government proposed an amendment to remove the provision prohibiting content that expresses “contempt for family values” or “promotes non-traditional marriages”, citing the potential harm to minors. While this proposal was expected to cause tensions within the Lithuanian ruling coalition, the liberal Freedom Party continued to hope for the support of its coalition partners.

In a parliamentary vote on 7th November 2023, however, Lithuanian lawmakers rejected the government’s amendments seeking to eliminate the provision. The government is currently looking for ways to avoid a potential rule of law infringement procedure for not changing the law.