• Urgent Action Litauen (Lithuania): Seimas soll Informationgesetz nicht verabschieden. - News Amnesty International uam (9. Juli).
• Info (29. Juni): Valdas Adamkus stoppt mit Veto homophobe Informationsgesetz in Litauen (Lithuania). - Bilder der Demo in Brüssel mit Amnesty International (23. Juni) - Media release by Tolerant Youth Association (29. Juni).
• Urgent Aktion (24. Juni 2009): Herr Präsident Valdas Adamkus stoppen Sie das homophobe Informationsgesetz
• Informationsgesetz angenommen (16. Juni) - Media release by Tolerant Youth Association (16. und 22. Juni) - News von Amnesty International (16. Juni) und Zeitungsartikel der taz (Deutsch, 22. Juni)
• Zur Urgent Action von Amnesty International an der Europride 2009 (6. Juni), Medienmitteiung, Brieftext Deutsch und Englisch

Nachrichten. TJA. LGL. ILGA.
Public Statement & News from Amnesty International

«Homophobes Mediengesetz» verabschiedet - (ap/neud, 14. Juli 2009, 16:51; 17:17)

In Litauen ist ein Mediengesetz beschlossen worden, das sehr umstritten ist. Demnach dürfen Minderjährige keine Berichte über Homosexualität oder Darstellungen von Gewalt sehen. Schwulenverbände bezeichnen das Gesetz als homophob.

Das Ergebnis war eindeutig. 87 Parlamentarier sprachen sich für das neue Gesetz aus und nur sechs Volksvertreter waren dagegen. Mit dem Beschluss setzte sich die Mehrheit über ein Veto des Präsidenten hinweg.

Mit Annahme der neuen Bestimmung ist die Veröffentlichung von Informationen verboten, die «der intellektuellen und moralischen Entwicklung» von Minderjährigen schaden könnten. Dazu gehören Berichte zur Homosexualität, Polygamie, Bisexualität und bildliche Darstellungen von Gewalt und Tod.

Katholiken versus Schwulenverbände

In Litauen sind etwa 80 Prozent römisch-katholisch und gelten in vielen Eigenschaften als besonders archaisch. Schwulenverbände im EU-Staat haben das Gesetz als homophob abgelehnt.

We would like to inform you that President’s veto on The Law on the Protection of Minors Against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information was rejected by Seimas of Lithuanian Republic on 14 July, 2009.

The law would become in force without any amendments from 1 March, 2010. The rejection of veto was supported by 87 Seimas members, 6 were against and 25 abstained. The Seimas Speaker Arūnas Valinskas ignored warnings and requests of Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, ILGA and other concerned organizations and groups.

On 15/06/2009 the Lithuanian Parliament has passed a legislation that bans any positive information, or “propaganda” as they call it, about homosexuals. The law is called “Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information” and Article 4 includes “propaganda of homosexuality, bisexuality” as one of the “Detrimental Effectors”.

The passed amendment puts homosexuals into the same category with display of dead or cruelly mutilated body, information that causes fear or horror or encourages suicide.

We would like to notice that “Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information” violates the principles of EU law, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

We are asking not to be aloofed and react as quick as possible and used all possibilities wich are available for You.

Please spread this information for people who might be concerned about this issue.

TJA: Seimas beschliesst verfassungswidriges Gesetz (Litauisch).

Lithuanian Gay League (LGL) welcomes decision by the Liberals Movement Political Group of Lithuanian Parliament to file and appeal with the Constitutional Court of Lithuania concerning the compliance of the adopted Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information with constitutional norms of freedom of expression and right to get information.

A bill will ban from schools, internet and public places information that agitates for homosexual or bisexual relations from March 2010.

At the same time, LGL is deeply concerned that new anti-gay amendments will be considered in the autumn session of the Lithuanian Parliament. The amendments of penal and administrative codes suggest that a private or legal person propagating homosexual relationships in public areas is committing a criminal action to be punished either by public works, or by a fine up to 1500 Euros, or by arrestment.

Vladimir Simonko, chair of the Lithuanian Gay League says: “These heavy homophobia driven laws codify discrimination based on sexual orientation, deny freedom of expression, and inhibit LGBT persons’ rights to education, information and every day life. Panic fear of the Baltic Pride event planned in Vilnius for May 7 - 9, 2010 overshadows clear violation of international and European human rights law to which Lithuania is a party”.

Press release by Lithuanian gay league (LGL), July 15, 2009

Lithuanian Gay League (Engisch / Litauisch).

Dalia Grybauskaitė, Lithuanian president will have to sign the Law on the Protection of Minors Against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information adopted by the parliament in the second attempt and which was vetoed by previous president Valdas Adamkus.

Despite the fact she stated just a few days ago that she will criticised this law and said she will never sign a law which breached fundamental human rights, he is obliged by the country’s constitution to sign this law.

On Tuesday, 14 July, the parliament once more adopted the Law on the Protection of Minors Against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information which means that the president Adamkus’ veto is rejected.

A few days ago in the interview to a newspaper Verslo žinios, president Dalia Grybauskaitė commented the law which was vetoed by president Adamkus:

“In my opinion, this law contains homophobic provisions. There cannot be any ‘higher’ reason which would aim to overshadow fundamental human rights. I promise that I will never sign any law which will contradict fundamental human rights.”

Source: www.delfi.lt, Translation by ILGA-Europe (English).

Amnesty International condemns adoption of homophobic law in Lithuania:

The Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament) voted today to adopt the controversial “Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information”. The law was initially approved by the Seimas 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. The law will enter into force on 1 March 2010.

Amnesty International is concerned that the law violates the right to freedom of expression and the prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation as set out in international and regional human rights treaties that Lithuania is party to.

Article 4 of the law lists 19 categories of information that are considered to have a “detrimental effect on the development of minors” and which are banned from schools, public places and media where they could be viewed by children. Sub-section 13 of Article 4 prohibits “Information which agitates for homosexual, bisexual and polygamous relations”.

An explanatory note accompanying the law states that “the propagation of a non-traditional sexual orientation and exposure to information containing positive coverage of homosexual relations may cause negative consequences for the physical, mental and, first and foremost, moral development of minors.”

The law classifies public information about homosexuality and bisexuality alongside material that portrays physical or psychological violence and the display of dead or mutilated bodies. Also prohibited is material that “encourages gambling, encourages and suggests participation in the games of chance, lotteries and other games that imply easy win”, “displays a hypnosis session” or “promotes bad eating, sanitary and physical passivity habits”.

Amnesty International is seriously concerned that this law will institutionalise homophobia and could be used to prohibit any legitimate discussion of homosexuality, impede the work of human rights defenders and further the stigmatization of and prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Far from protecting children, the law deprives young people of their right to freedom of expression and access to information and risks isolating children who are already amongst the most at risk of violence at school or within the family.

Amnesty International calls on the Lithuanian government to uphold its international human rights obligations and repeal the discriminatory “Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information”.

The organization further calls on the Lithuanian government to:

• Ensure that all persons in Lithuania, including children, fully enjoy the right to freedom of expression – including the right to seek, receive and impart information;
• Prohibit any discrimination and guarantee to all persons equal and effective protection against discrimination, including discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity
• Provide adequate and non-discriminatory information and support to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender young people.

PDF.

The Lithuanian parliament voted on Tuesday to adopt a controversial law that institutionalizes homophobia.

Amnesty International has condemned the discriminatory law, which was passed after a majority of parliamentarians voted to overturn an earlier Presidential veto against it.

President Valdas Adamkus vetoed the "Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information", which violates the right to freedom of expression and the right to be free from discrimination, on 26 June.

But on Tuesday, 87 of the 140 Seimas representatives once again voted in favour of the law. 25 parliamentarians abstained and only six voted against the law.

The wide-ranging censorship law had initially been passed by the Lithuanian Parliament (the Seimas) on 16 June. It was widely criticized for its discriminatory restrictions on public information on homosexuality.

The law classifies public information about homosexuality and bisexuality with other prohibited material that portrays physical or psychological violence and the display of dead bodies.

One clause of the law seeks to ban materials that “agitate for homosexual, bisexual and polygamous relations” from schools or public places and media where they could be viewed by children, on the grounds that they would have a “detrimental effect on the development of minors.”

Such a provision could be used to prohibit any legitimate discussion of homosexuality and impede the work of human rights defenders.

Amnesty International is seriously concerned that this law will institutionalise homophobia, impeding the work of human rights defenders and furthering the stigmatization of and prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

"Far from protecting children, the law deprives young people of their right to freedom of expression and access to information and risks isolating children who are already amongst the most at risk of violence at school or within the family," said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's researcher on Discrimination in Europe.

Amnesty International has called on the Lithuanian government to uphold its international human rights obligations and repeal the discriminatory "Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information".

The Lithuanian government should also ensure that all persons in Lithuania, including children, fully enjoy the right to freedom of expression – including the right to seek, receive and impart information.

Quelle.

Kerzen vor der Litauischen Botschaft in Prag.
© PRIDE Solidarity.

In vielen europäsichen Ländern organisierten Gruppen bereits am Abend des 14. Juli Proteste vor der Litauischen Vertretung. Plakate, Banner, Reden und Kerzen vor zwei Dutzend Litauischen Botschaften und Konsulaten können kaum übersehen werden! In den Ländern des Baltikums zeigten Menschen ihre Solidarität mit den Litauischen Brüdern und Schwestern.