Lithuania
Lithuania regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. Data are collected by the Police Department under the Ministry of the Interior and the Prosecutor General's Office. Lithuania's annual hate crime report is published here.
Lithuania began implementing ODIHR's Training Against Hate Crime for Law Enforcement (TAHCLE) programme in 2015 and continues to train police officers using ODIHR's training curriculum. In 2018, Lithuania co-organized a workshop on hate crime recording and data collection with ODIHR and the EU Fundamental Rights Agency. The workshop was based on ODIHR's Information Against Hate Crimes Toolkit (INFAHCT) and resulted in a set of recommendations for relevant state authorities.
In February 2020, the Lithuanian Ministry of Interior established a working group to promote an effective response to hate crimes and hate speech in Lithuania. The working group consists of representatives of seven national authorities and 11 civil society organizations. The working group proposes measures to strengthen the effectiveness of efforts to address hate crime and hate speech, monitors the implementation of international obligations, considers relevant legislation, and prepares annual reports on the situation of hate crimes and hate speech in Lithuania, among other roles.
In 2023, the Action Plan for the Implementation of Equal Opportunities, 2024-2026, was approved, and includes measures to prevent hate speech and hate crimes. Amendments were also made to recommendations for the pre-trial investigation of hate crime and hate speech, drafted with support from ODIHR, to include a definition of hate crime and bias indicators.
OFFICIAL DATA REPORTED BY STATES
| Year | Hate crimes recorded by police | Prosecuted | Sentenced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 25 | 8 | 7 |
| 2022 | 34 | 12 | 6 |
| 2021 | 31 | 10 | 10 |
| 2020 | 8 | 4 | 1 |
| 2019 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| 2017 | 9 | 4 | 3 |
| 2016 | 20 | 6 | 7 |
| 2015 | 24 | 5 | 4 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 2012 | 7 | 2 | 2 |
| 2011 | 5 | 2 | Not available |
| 2010 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| 2009 | 3 | Not available | Not available |
Hate crime recorded by police
KEY OBSERVATION
INCIDENTS REPORTED BY CIVIL SOCIETY
INTERNATIONAL REPORTS
Racist and xenophobic hate crime, Anti-LGBTI hate crime
In its fifth report on Lithuania, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) recommended that the Criminal Code be amended to include colour, citizenship and gender identity as protected characteristics. ECRI also observed the need for further training for police officers, prosecutors and judges on how to approach hate crimes.
Racist and xenophobic hate crime
In its "Concluding observations on the combined sixth to eighth periodic reports of Lithuania", the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) recommended that the collection of data on reported hate crimes, prosecutions and sentences be improved, and that the state take measures to reach out to groups at risk of being targeted. The Committee also stressed the importance of ensuring the effective investigation and prosecution of hate crimes.