Having not received the approval of the Seimas, the ministry is looking for other alternatives to respond to the ECtHR’s decision

The government proposed to abolish the provisions of the law prohibiting minors from disseminating information that “disparages family values” and promotes the concept of the LGBTIQ family, as it was based on them that the publication of the book was suspended.

However, the Seimas did not approve such a proposal.

“We are currently analyzing what are the possibilities to solve this issue,” Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska told reporters on Wednesday.

Some lawyers say that due to the existing legal regulation, it is possible to apply to the Constitutional Court, so that it will clarify whether the mentioned provision of the law does not discriminate against a part of the society.

However, the minister did not elaborate on whether such an alternative is being considered.

“I cannot answer for today,” E. Dobrowolska added.

At that time, opponents of changing the law claim that the current provision prohibits disparaging family values ​​and promoting the concept of the LGBTIQ family, but does not prohibit informing about it, so there was no need to change it. They also draw attention to the fact that the aim was to delete from the law the clause prohibiting denigration of family values.

In the case of the now-deceased writer N. Macatė, the ECtHR found that by restricting the publication of the book, Lithuania violated the provisions of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms related to freedom of expression.

The book was published by the Lithuanian University of Education in 2013, but the distribution of the book was stopped after a few months.

The university based such a decision on the letter of the Journalists’ Ethics Inspector Service, in which N. Macatė’s book is named as causing harm to children under 14 years of age. At that time, the service explained its position with the valid legal regulation.