Lithuania - December 2022

Legislative amendments providing compensation to Lithuania’s Jewish community for assets seized under World War II passed the Seimas, with an overwhelming 74 votes in favour, six against and two abstentions. The bill allocates resources to compensate Lithuanian Jews and Jewish religious communities for immovable property that was either illegally taken away or else left empty by the Holocaust and subsequently assumed by the state. The law was initially passed in 2011, establishing the mechanism for payments, and has now been expanded to include cases of heirless property, which is important as the Nazi occupation killed 90 per cent of Lithuania’s Jews. Proponents of the law say that it helps maintain Jewish communal life in Lithuania, and takes a step towards historical justice.

Sources: Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas, Baltic News Network