Lithuania to pass discriminatory law against citizens of Belarus and Russia

In the coming hours, the Lithuanian Seimas is going to vote for a law that introduces discriminatory measures against citizens of Belarus and Russia. The document caused a lot of controversy, but it changed little during the discussions: it kept almost all the prohibitions unchanged.

The law will be valid for a year, but it can be extended without a decision of Parliament. Belarusians and Russians are stopped to be issued residence permits, they are forbidden to buy housing, they will no longer be granted citizenship, even if they have grounds. Residents of both countries are no longer issued a Lithuanian visa, and the Russians are even not let through the border.

The document is truly unique: it establishes discrimination on the basis of nationality, and against people who are not guilty of anything from any point of view. If we look for analogies, we can probably look at the state policy against African Americans, which was in place about 200 years ago.