Lithuanian Parliamentarian Promotes Violence against Roma

18 May 2007

On 16 September 2006, the Lithuanian TV station LNK broadcast a programme on the drug trade in Lithuania, drawing explicit links between drug selling and the Kirtimai Romani district in Vilnius and condemning the supposed inaction of police. During the broadcast, Ms Ramune Visockyte, Chairperson of Lithuania's Parliamentary Drug Addiction Prevention Commission, condemned police and officials for not acting on drug issues in the Kirtimai district, which she labelled a "bad, infamous place", because they are afraid of international human rights organisations. Ms Visockyte also stated during the programme that human rights organisations defend the rights of drug sellers rather than the rights of potential victims of drug addiction. Ms Visockyte went further to present the demolition of Romani homes as an effective way to fight drug selling and drug addiction, while citing concrete successful examples such as the demolition by officials of Romani homes in the Russia's Kaliningrad Region. For further information, visit LNKs website at: http://www.lnk.lt.