On 26 October 2023, the Seimas Ombudspersons’ Office organised a training “The Role of the Civil Society in Performing the Functions of National Prevention of Torture and National Human Rights Institution” for experts in various fields. The training focused on the importance of the involvement of the civil society specialists in the activities of the Seimas Ombudspersons’ Office when implementing the torture prevention mandate and human rights monitoring.
Opening the event, Erika Leonaitė, Head of the Seimas Ombudspersons’ Office, congratulated the training participants and emphasised the importance of sustainable mutual cooperation with an aim to achieve significant changes in ensuring human rights and freedoms in Lithuania.
Vytautas Valentinavičius, Head of the Human Rights Division of the Seimas Ombudspersons’ Office, spoke about the possibilities of involving experts in various fields in the implementation of prevention mechanisms of the Seimas Ombudspersons’ Office, highlighted the significance of fulfilling the torture prevention mandate, providing opportunities for the public to become familiar with human rights issues in places of restriction of liberty.
The Head of the Human Rights Division also introduced the training participants to the practical aspects of inspections, highlighted examples of the implementation of recommendations provided by the Seimas Ombudspersons after the inspections and emphasised the opportunities for experts to get involved in the monitoring of human rights carried out by the national human rights institution at the state level, as well as the investigations on fundamental human rights issues.
Fausta Viktorija Osičnaitė, Advisor of the Human Rights Division, presented the principles and procedures of the national prevention of torture in places of restriction of liberty, the elements assessed during the inspection, highlighted practical examples of monitoring the environment and communication with vulnerable persons, and explained the procedure and requirements for engaging experts in the performance of activities of the Seimas Ombudspersons.
During the practical workshop, Advisor of the Human Rights Division Goda Jurevičiūtė, together with the training participants and other specialists of the Human Rights Division, discussed the most important aspects of the implementation of the torture prevention mandate in different places of restriction of liberty, as well as possible alternative ways of solving fundamental human rights problems when carrying out investigations.
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