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“Such benevolence of the Commander of the State Boarder Guard Service towards implementation of recommendations of the Seimas Ombudsman could be a good example to other institutions which by performing their obligations often violate human rights,” pointed the Seimas Ombudsman A.Normantas.

In the report on human right violations, the Seimas Ombudsman concluded that no registration of persons, who are detained in Frontier Stations, is carried out. Moreover, the detainees are not informed about video surveillance.

“Moreover, G. Žagunis and Dievenišikiai Frontier Stations do not perform disinfection of rooms of the detainees and there are no first aid kits,” stated the Seimas Ombudsman.

One more problem observed by the Seimas Ombudsman – main entrances to the Frontier Stations are not accessible for the disabled people. In addition, temporariry detention rooms have no heating means of ventilation and natural lighting. 

“There is no video surveillance and conversation equipment, which would enable detainees to contact security guards of the Frontier Station,” shows the report of the Seimas Ombudsman.

Having acquainted himself with the report on human rights violations in Frontier Stations, the Commander of the State Boarder Guard Service drafted a plan for implementation of recommendations of the Seimas Ombudsman and obliged the heads of Vilnius and Ignalina Frontier Districts to implement them.

The majority of recommendations of the Seimas Ombudsman will be implemented until the end of this year, assured the Deputy Commander of the State Boarder Guard Service Valentinas Novikovas in his letter to the Seimas Ombudsman A. Normantas.

There are over 400 detention places in Lithuania, including correctional institutions, detention centres, psychiatric institutions and institutions of communicable diseases, care homes, border checkpoints, the Foreigners' Registration Centre and other places of deprivation of liberty in Lithuania.

The Law on the Seimas Ombudsmen allows the Seimas Ombudsmen to enter any social care or custodial institution at any time of the day in Lithuania. The Seimas Ombudsmen started implementing national prevention of torture in Lithuania in the beginning of 2014 when the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania adopted the Optional Protocol (OPCAT) to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.