SECOND SECTION

DECISION

Application no. 1747/24
ANCIENT BALTIC RELIGIOUS ASSOCIATION “ROMUVA”
against Lithuania

The European Court of Human Rights (Second Section), sitting on 24 April 2025 as a Committee composed of:

 Stéphane Pisani, President,
 Gediminas Sagatys,
 Juha Lavapuro, judges,

and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,

Having regard to the above application lodged on 4 January 2024,

Having deliberated, decides as follows:

FACTS AND PROCEDURE

The applicant, Ancient Baltic religious association “Romuva”, is a religious association established under Lithuanian law. It comprises several religious communities, one of which was officially registered in Lithuania in 1992.

The applicant association was represented by Mr E. Valčiukas, a lawyer practising in Vilnius.

In a judgment delivered on 8 June 2021, the Court held that there had been a violation of the applicant association’s rights under Article 14 of the Convention read in conjunction with Article 9 on account of the refusal by the Seimas (the Lithuanian Parliament) to grant it the status of a State‑recognised religious association, as well as a violation of Article 13 of the Convention on account of the fact that the applicant association did not have an effective domestic remedy with respect to the impugned decision of the Seimas (see Ancient Baltic religious association “Romuva” v. Lithuania, no. 48329/19, §§ 147-49 and 153, 8 June 2021).

In the present application, the applicant association complained under Article 14 of the Convention read in conjunction with Article 9 that on 19 September 2023 the Seimas had again refused to grant it State recognition and under Article 13 of the Convention that it did not have an effective domestic remedy to complain against that decision. Those complaints were communicated to the Lithuanian Government (“the Government”). The Government were also asked to comment on whether Article 46 of the Convention precluded the Court’s examination of the applicant association’s complaints.

On 29 January 2025 the applicant association informed the Registry that it wished to withdraw its application to the Court in view of the fact that on 12 December 2024 the Seimas had granted it State recognition.

THE LAW

In the light of the foregoing, the Court concludes that the applicant association may be regarded as no longer wishing to pursue the application (Article 37 § 1 (a) of the Convention). Furthermore, in accordance with Article 37 § 1 in fine, the Court finds no special circumstances regarding respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and the Protocols thereto which require the continued examination of the application.

Accordingly, the case should be struck out of the list.

For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,

Decides to strike the application out of its list of cases.

Done in English and notified in writing on 15 May 2025.

 Viktoriya Maradudina Stéphane Pisani
 Acting Deputy Registrar President