Whistleblower Protection

The Republic of Lithuania Whistleblower Protection Law * establishes the rights and obligations of individuals reporting violations within institutions, as well as the legal foundations and forms of their protection. It also outlines measures for the protection, encouragement, and assistance of these individuals to create proper opportunities for reporting violations that pose a threat to public interest or violate it, ensuring the prevention, disclosure, and accountability of those responsible for such violations.

According to this law, information about violations is provided concerning:

• Threats to public safety or health, personal life, or health;
• Environmental hazards;
• Obstruction or illegal interference with law enforcement investigations or court proceedings in the administration of justice;
• Illegal activities financing;
• Illegal or opaque use of public funds or assets;
• Unlawfully acquired property;
• Concealment of the consequences of a committed violation, obstruction of determining the extent of the consequences;
• Other violations.

An individual can provide information about a violation through:

• The internal reporting channel within the institution;
• Directly to the competent authority;
• Publicly.

By the order of the Director of the Vilnius Castle State Cultural Reserve on January 6, 2023,  No. IV-2*, the procedure for providing information according to the Republic of Lithuania Whistleblower Protection Law in the Vilnius Castle State Cultural Reserve Directorate was approved. The procedure defines the process of reporting, receiving, evaluating, and making decisions regarding information about possible violations prepared, committed, or made in the Vilnius Castle State Cultural Reserve Directorate.

The internal reporting channel in the Vilnius Castle State Cultural Reserve Directorate can be used by individuals connected to or associated with the directorate through employment or contractual relationships (consultancy, procurement, internship, practice, volunteering, etc.).

An individual providing information about a violation in the Vilnius Castle State Cultural Reserve Directorate can do so in one of the following ways:

• By directly contacting the competent authority in writing, submitting or sending by mail (address: Kosciuškos g. 30, LT-01100, Vilnius) a completed violation report form (download form*);
• Verbally, upon visiting the Vilnius Castle State Cultural Reserve Directorate (address: Kosciuškos g. 30, LT-01100, Vilnius) to the competent authority;
• By sending information about the violation to the Vilnius Castle State Cultural Reserve Directorate's email address [email protected].

Confidentiality applies to the person providing information about a violation, except when:

• The person providing or having provided information about the violation requests it in writing;
• The person provides knowingly false information.
• No contractual or delictual liability arises for the person providing information about the violation. Additionally, there is no liability for defamation, insult to honor and dignity, if, in accordance with the Republic of Lithuania Whistleblower Protection Law, the person reasonably believed they were providing accurate information when reporting a violation.

The person is only liable for damages arising from providing information about a violation if it is proven that the person could not reasonably believe that the information provided was accurate.

Knowingly providing false information or disclosing information constituting state or service secrets subjects the person to legal liability as established by the relevant laws.

^{*Information available only in Lithuanian.}