Lithuania made progress in several areas of human rights in 2025, but many issues remain unresolved because existing laws often fail to translate into practical improvements in people’s daily lives, the country’s parliamentary ombudsmen said Tuesday.
“Progress in human rights must be measured by the results for the individual – whether a person actually manages to cross the bridge from formally existing laws to everyday reality without having to fight for it,” Ombudsperson Erika Leonaitė said during the presentation of the 2025 human rights monitoring report.
The report found no significant change in the prevalence of violence, with overall trends remaining similar to previous years. Authorities received 55,900 reports of domestic violence last year, about 1,500 more than in 2024, while 4,300 related criminal acts were registered.
Women accounted for 75% of domestic violence victims. More than half, 54%, of domestic violence protection orders were issued repeatedly, highlighting concerns about repeat offenses and the effectiveness of existing safeguards.
The ombudsmen identified the absence of a legal definition of systemic violence, a lack of long-term protection mechanisms for victims facing repeat abuse and the growing prevalence of cyber and sexual violence as key challenges.
On reproductive rights, the report highlighted several developments, including the launch of home-visiting services for families in May and a Constitutional Court ruling concerning access to assisted reproduction. However, access to contraception and medical abortion remains problematic, as do sexual and reproductive health education and issues related to personal autonomy.
Foreign nationals accounted for about 7.5% of Lithuania’s population, a proportion that remained stable. The report noted improvements in integration systems, including better access to information for vulnerable and ethnic groups, the introduction of new tools and translation services, and improved procedures for assessing vulnerability.
The report also found progress in disability rights. Refusing to provide reasonable accommodation is now recognised as discrimination. However, community-based services remain limited, institutional care remains widespread and opportunities for employment and independent decision-making are restricted.
Only 31.5% of working-age people with disabilities were employed last year, while 10,600 people were declared legally incapacitated in certain areas, according to the report.
Conditions in Lithuania’s prisons have improved in some respects, but a planned new prison project remains stalled. The ombudsmen said incremental changes have not produced the broader reforms needed to bring prisoners’ rights in line with international standards.
Among the main concerns are dormitory-style housing, shortages of prison staff and psychologists, violence, criminal subcultures, a lack of confidential channels for reporting abuse and insufficient rehabilitation and parole opportunities.
The report also found that legal developments concerning LGBTIQ+ rights have not been matched by broader policy changes.
Courts considered 27 cases involving same-sex partnerships last year and granted 18 requests. However, Lithuania still lacks a comprehensive legal framework regulating same-sex partnerships, the ombudsmen said.
Reported violations involving violence and harassment prevention increased 48% in 2025. Such violations were most frequently reported in manufacturing, education, construction and transportation.
Of claims involving psychological violence, 42% were rejected last year, 31% ended in settlements and only 1.5% resulted in full or partial satisfaction of the claims, according to the report.
Religious minorities also continue to face intolerance. The report found that 32% of Lithuanians said they would not want to work with Muslims, while negative attitudes toward other religious minorities persist. Religious groups were the most frequent targets of reported hate crimes.
The parliamentary ombudsmen concluded that monitoring public attitudes in Lithuania remains inconsistent and insufficient, making it harder to assess changes in social tolerance and human rights conditions.
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