Karo padėties represinių priemonių panaudojimas prieš katalikiškąją opoziciją Lietuvoje 1930–1932 m ; Martial law as an instrument of repression against the Catholic opposition in Lithuania (1930–1932)
The main objective of this article is to assess the martial law situation repressive measures against the opposition of Catholic organizations, implemented by the authoritarian regime in Lithuania from 1930 to 1932. It also seeks to reveal how this repressive policy has been publicly criticized by the Catholic clergy. This study is based on the documents kept at the Lithuanian Central State Archive and published sources. Imposition of the martial law in the Republic of Lithuania (1919) changed the permanent internal legal regime, set in the Constitution, to exclusive, stricter, and setting greater limits on citizens' rights and liberties regime. At the very same time the practice of administration of justice changed. In 1920–1926 the decisions, concerning the martial law, were entered by democratically elected parliament members, following the procedures, laid down in the Constitution. Every such political step spurred hot debates between the parliamentary majority of Christian democrats, standing for greater limitation of civil rights and liberties, and their persistent though not effective opponents from the left wing, first of all social democrats. During the period of parliamentary democracy in Lithuania the Christian democrats (with their party ideology mostly based on the authority of the Catholic Church) remained the most influential political power in the country. The issue of the martial law had become the value dilemma for Lithuanian political elite, the situation where a compromise could hardly be found. The martial law limited Lithuanian citizens' possibilities to express their views in the press or public events. The permissions from the war superintendents, regional superiors were necessary for press and other printings, their making, organization of demonstrations, meetings, establishment of associations, parties. [.]