3. The Committee welcomes the following legislative and institutional steps taken by the State party:

(a) The adoption of the Law on Equal Opportunities which came into force on 1 January 2005 and which prohibits any direct or indirect discrimination based on age, sexual orientation, disability, racial or ethnic origin, religion, or beliefs;

8. The Committee is concerned that certain legal instruments such as the Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information (art. 7) may be applied in a manner unduly restrictive of the freedom of expression guaranteed under the Covenant and may have the effect of justifying discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals. The Committee is furthermore concerned at various legislative proposals, including amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences, the Constitution, and the Civil Code which, were they to be adopted, would impact negatively on the enjoyment of fundamental rights by LGBT individuals. The Committee is also concerned at the increasing negative attitudes against, and stigmatization of, such persons in society, which has manifested itself in instances of violence and discrimination, and at reports of reluctance on the part of police officers and prosecutors to pursue allegations of human rights violations against persons on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity (arts. 2, 19 and 26).

The State party should take all necessary measures to ensure that its legislation is not interpreted and applied in a discriminatory manner against persons on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The State party should implement broad awareness-raising campaigns, as well as trainings for law enforcement officials, to counter negative sentiments against LGBT individuals. It should consider adopting a targeted national action plan on the issue. The Committee, finally, recalls the obligation of the State party to guarantee all human rights of such individuals, including the right to freedom of expression and the right to freedom of assembly.

15. The Committee is concerned that, despite a number of legislative and institutional measures taken by the State party, xenophobic and in particular anti-Semitic incidents continue to occur. The Committee is also concerned that manifestations of hatred and intolerance towards members of national or ethnic minorities as well as LGBT individuals remain widespread particularly on the Internet (arts. 2, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 27).

Link to full text of the report: Concluding Observations-CCPR-Lithuania-2012-eng

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