If you believe that you have been placed in a mental health care institution unlawfully, you have the right to complain.
You should first complain locally to the Lithuanian authorities and courts. They should be able to offer the easiest and fastest solution to your problem.
If you consider that the doctors at the mental health care institution did not make a lawful decision by keeping you placed involuntarily, you have the right to complain about their decision and request compensation for the damages sustained.
Complaint to the health care institution
If your complaint is not related to damage compensation you can address your complaint directly to the mental health care institution. The complaint has to be examined in no more than 20 working days and you should be informed about the decision.
If you are not satisfied with the decision you can complain to the national institutions and courts.
Complaint to the Commission of evaluation of damage done to the patient’s health
You can submit a complaint to the Commission of evaluation of damage done to the patient’s health concerning damage compensation. The Commission will evaluate the decisions made by the doctors and the medical treatment provided to you.
The decision of the Commission must contain information about where and within which deadlines the decision can be appealed. The Commission is a mandatory institution for complaints as you cannot send your complaints directly to the court.
Damage done by the court
You have the right to ask for compensation if you have suffered damages because of the actions of the court and judges. This right is established in the Civil code.
Complaints to international bodies
European and international institutions will not accept your claim if you have not complained first to local institutions. You can only apply to the European and international institutions if you think that the violation of your rights has not been remedied by the Lithuanian institutions.
You can read about international and European complaint procedures in the section Human rights institutions.