LITHUANIA | Seimas Ombudspersons’ Office pays visit to Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman

On 20-24 November 2023, the head of the Seimas Ombudspersons’ Office, Seimas Ombudsperson Erika Leonaitė and the advisors of the Human Rights Division of the Office, Fausta Viktorija Osičnaitė and Goda Jurevičiūtė, visited Copenhagen. The study visit for the representatives of the Seimas Ombudspersons’ Office was organised by the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman’s Office, which not only deals with complaints, like most ombudsman institutions, but also carries out national torture prevention functions in accordance with the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The study visit started with a presentation of the powers and activities of the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman. Then, 2022 activity report of the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman was presented as well as the procedures and features of implementation of the national prevention of torture in Denmark, statistical data, challenges arising in this area and visited places of restriction of liberty. In addition, the information was provided on cooperation with the non-governmental organisation “DIGNITY” (Danish Institute Against Torture) and the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR), as well as the dialogue with representatives of state authorities regarding implementation of recommendations of the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman.

The representatives of the Seimas Ombudspersons’ Office were also introduced to the detailed guidelines for monitoring activities in places of restriction of liberty (Manual for Monitoring Activities) applied by experts of the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman’s office and informed about the possibility of improving communication skills with persons whose freedom is restricted using the FreedomLab.io, an online learning platform developed by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). In addition, many examples of good practice regarding the planning and execution of inspections at places of restriction of liberty were shared.

During the study visit, representatives of the Seimas Ombudspersons’ Office had an opportunity to get to know how the employees of the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman’s office prepare monitoring reports, the structure and content of such reports, to share good practices on their preparation and finally, to visit the main pre-trial detention facility of the Copenhagen prison group – The Western Prison. Later, the representatives of the Seimas Ombudspersons’ Office discussed the aspects monitored in prisons as well as the peculiarities and differences of the Lithuanian and Danish penitentiary systems with experts of the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman’s office.

The head of the Seimas Ombudspersons’ Office and the advisors of the Human Rights Division were also introduced to the asylum procedures applied in Denmark, the powers of the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman to visit state institutions and private centers for foreigners whose freedom is restricted. They were informed about the types of such places, the features of inspections carried out there, the most important areas to be checked and the results of such visits. The next part of the presentation was dedicated to discussing the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman’s function of forced-return monitoring. Afterwards, the representatives of the Seimas Ombudspersons’ Office were provided with an opportunity to visit the detention and probation facility for asylum seekers and other foreigners (The Ellebæk Center for Foreigners).

In addition to the already mentioned areas, the representatives of the Seimas Ombudspersons’ Office were introduced to the legal regulation of involuntary treatment of patients in psychiatric institutions in Denmark, the conditions of involuntary hospitalisation, the procedure for applying physical restraint measures, etc. Together with the experts of the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman’s office, the experience and knowledge on the implementation of national torture prevention functions in Lithuania was shared, the challenges arising in this area were discussed as well as information learned during the visit and possible further cooperation were talked about.

It should be highlighted that the visit to the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman’s office was organised as part of the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Public Administration of the Nordic Council of Ministers, which allocates funds to civil servants and other employees of the public sector to carry out short-term study visits, internships, trainings or network activities in the region.

Source: Seimas (Parliamentary) Ombudsperson's Office of the Republic of Lithuania