Court’s decision: Both original and Lithuanian versions of “Wardyn” in identity cards

Surnames “Wardyn” and “Pauwels” shall be put both in Lithuanian and original form in identity cards – ruled the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania.

“However, it is still unclear how it will be done” – said Ewelina Baliko, lawyer of the European Foundation of Human Rights.

The family of Lithuanian citizeness and Polish citizen requested to issue their child with an identity card that has a surname put in line with the entry of residents’ register – “Wardyn”. The family of Lithuanian citizeness and Belgian citizen requested to put original form of “Pauwels” both in a passport and in an identity card.

Last week the court ruled on the case of Jaquet and Mickiewicz. The Migration Office was obliged to issue Lithuanian passports with two versions of a surname – the Lithuanian one on the first page of a passport and the original one on the next page.

Ewelina Baliko stated that both families had turned to the Migration Office, but they were refused documents in the required form.

“The Office refuses to issue a passport compliant with the court’s decision because the surnames of children has not been put in the Lithuanian version in the residents’ register yet. That is why we are compelled to follow the same rules as before the court’s decision. Obviously, the families do not intend to do it” – said Baliko.

She added that petitioners would turn to the European Court of Human Rights and the United Nations Human Rights Committee.