Public Relations Coordinator Dovilė Šakalienė engaged Christian Conservative Social Union and Lithuanian Nationalist Union representatives in a live television discussion yesterday on LRT that featured human rights issues in political party platforms.
The program followed publication on the Internet of comments made by Antanas Zapolskis, Christian Conservative Social Union candidate, who expressed his support to restore capital punishment and to medically treat homosexuals.
In responding to the published remarks, Šakalienė presented HRMI's view that both suggestions contradict violate human rights.
HRMI takes the position that the capital punishment devalues human life and fosters cruelty in society, along with the possiblity that an innocent person might be punished. Capital punishment contradicts the Lithuanian Constitution and international legal norms protecting human rights. Moreover, research shows that capital punishment has no preventive effect. On the contrary, in a number of cases it induces more crime.
On the question of treating homosexuals, HRMI maintains that homosexuality isn’t a disease and medical treatment might cripple an individual's life.
The leader of CCSU, G. Vagnorius, dissociated the party from A. Zapolskis' suggestions. However, he was reminded audiences that this candidate is on CCSU's election list.
D.Šakalienė surmized that programs of both parties leave unaddressed human rights problems, emphasizing recurrent violations related to bailiff activities, crime victim’s rights, disrespect to private life, right to fair trial and different forms of discrimination.
The show can be found on the archive of LRT
© 2012 Human Rights Monitoring Institute