Lithuania: Human Rights

The Republic of Lithuania is a constitutional, multi-party, parliamentary democracy. Legislative authority resides in a unicameral parliament (Seimas). Observers evaluated the October 2012 parliamentary elections as generally free and fair. The elections led to the formation of a center-left government. Authorities maintained effective control over security forces. Security forces did not commit human rights abuses. Some prisons continued to be overcrowded and in poor condition, and lengthy pretrial detention remained a problem. There were open manifestations of intolerance, including xenophobia, anti-Semitism, and prejudice based on sexual orientation and identity. Roma continued to live in poor conditions in areas of high crime facing social exclusion and discrimination. Additional problems included interference with the privacy of persons, libel and antidiscrimination laws that limited freedom of expression, and authorities? refusal to grant asylum interviews to persons deemed to have arrived from ?safe? countries of origin or transit. Societal problems included domestic violence, child abuse, and trafficking in persons. Facilities for treating persons with disabilities, especially with mental health problems, remained seriously inadequate.