Lithuanian Parliament moves closer towards criminalising homosexuality – Amnesty International
Posted by editor on 9/09/09 • Categorized as Human Rights • 
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Any move by the Lithuanian parliament to criminalize the promotion of homosexuality would violate the country’s international obligations to uphold freedom of expression and fight discrimination, Amnesty International warned in September 8.
It states that this warning comes as the Lithuanian parliament prepares to debate during its autumn session legislative amendments which would criminalise the “promotion of homosexual relations in public places”. “These proposals are a new low in Lithuania’s slide to state-sponsored homophobia,” said Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central Asia Programme Director.
The statement states that if adopted, they would permit the prosecution of an extremely wide variety of activities, including campaigning on human rights issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity, providing sexual health information to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) people or the organization of gay film festivals, or Pride events.
“Anyone detained under the proposed amendment to the Penal Code would be considered by Amnesty International to be a prisoner of conscience,” said Nicola Duckworth.
The Seimas in early July backed amendments to the Criminal Code and Code of Administrative Violations, which provides a criminal responsibility for promotion of homosexual relations.
The initiator of the bill Petras Grazulis belongs to the Order and Justice Party faction in Seimas. His faction colleague Algimantas Dumbrava, Jonas Stanevicius of the National Resurrection Party’s faction and conservatives Petras Luomanas, Kazimieras Uoka and Justinas Urbanavicius also participated in preparation of the bill.
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