It quotes local press reports that incidents of police brutality are becoming more common, with many of the victims reluctant to bring charges against police officers for fear of retaliation. The report says the government is making some progress in bringing police corruption under control. The Lithuanian government mostly cooperates fully with human rights groups, says the report. The key exception is the Ministry of Interior, which the report says has continually refused to release information on police brutality and statistics on corruption-related incidents. Prison conditions in Lithuania remain poor due to limited resources, says the U.S. report.
Prisons are overcrowded and poorly maintained.
The report notes concerns over a 1993 law allowing preventive detention for up to two months for people suspected of violent organized crime activity. Parliamentary members who unsuccessfully opposed extension of the law in 1997 for another two years said it was open to abuse and does not meet European Union standards. The report notes, however, that such violations decreased in 1997 compared with 1996. The Lithuanian constitution prohibits discrimination against women, but the practice persists, says the report. Abuse of women at home is reportedy common, especially due to alcohol abuse by husbands, and facilities for helping are only now being formed.