ILGA-Europe warmly welcome last Friday’s decision which satisfies the request by the organisers of the Baltic Pride to host the March for Equality on the main city’s avenue, as is the case for other major parades.
We congratulate the Lithuanian Gay League and Baltic LGBTI activists who have pressed on to ensure that their right to freedom of assembly is guaranteed. We also congratulate the Lithuanian justice system for taking such a decision and rejecting the discriminatory objections presented by the Vilnius City Council.
Freedom of assembly is a basic human rights and it is a duty of the state to ensure this right is exercised by all citizens without any discrimination or legal and administrative impediments. Moreover, it is the duty of the state to protect minority groups should such discriminatory objections be filed.
ILGA-Europe now expects that the Lithuanian authorities will ensure the safety of the participants during the March for Equality scheduled for 27 July.
