Lithuanian parliament speaker nominates new child rights and equal opportunities ombudswomen

Lithuania’s parliamentary speaker Juozas Olekas has proposed Alina Jakavonienė as the country’s next child rights ombudswoman and recommended reappointing Birutė Sabatauskaitė as equal opportunities ombudswoman, LRT reports.

The nominations were registered in parliamentary procedural orders on Tuesday and will be presented to lawmakers during Thursday’s plenary session. Both candidates require parliamentary approval.

Jakavonienė, a former director of the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service, would replace Edita Žiobienė, whose five-year term as child rights ombudswoman expired on January 7. Sabatauskaitė, whose current term as equal opportunities ombudswoman ended on April 1, has led the institution since her initial appointment in 2021 by then-speaker Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen.

Sabatauskaitė’s 2021 nomination faced criticism over potential conflicts of interest, as her father, Julius Sabatauskas, was a member of the opposition Social Democratic parliamentary group at the time. He recused himself from related discussions and votes. Sabatauskaitė had defended her qualifications, citing expertise in human rights.

Žiobienė, the outgoing child rights ombudswoman, previously headed the Lithuanian Human Rights Centre and served as legal chief for Kaunas County’s administration. She was first appointed to the ombudswoman role in 2010, with a reappointment in 2015.

Under Lithuanian law, the parliamentary speaker proposes and may dismiss candidates for both ombudswoman positions.