Last week, Lithuania decided to step up protection of courts; Vilnius mayor suggests selling unused land to fund defence
Lithuanian prosecutor seeks 5.5-yr jail sentence for rioter
The public prosecutor is seeking a prison sentence of five years and five months for Antanas Kandrotas, already convicted of financial crimes, in the ongoing trial over the 2021 riot outside the Lithuanian parliament building. Prosecutor Romualdas Betingis told the Vilnius City District Court on Thursday, the 6th of February, that he proposes combining this sentence with the existing prison sentence that Kandrotas, known by the nickname Celofanas (Cellophane), is currently serving for financial crimes. The prosecutor proposed a four-year sentence for Andrei Lobov, a participant in various protests, and a three-year sentence for Arnoldas Misiūnas, an MMA fighter. Some 5 000 people gathered outside the parliament building on the 10th of August 2021, to protest against the government’s plans to impose restrictions on people without coronavirus immunity or negative test results. The rally turned violent in the evening, with some protesters blocking exits from the parliament and throwing bottles and flares at police officers.
President confident Baltic power grid synchronization will go smoothly
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda is confident that the Baltic electricity grids’ synchronization with the Western European system will go smoothly this weekend, with consumers unlikely to notice the transition. “I want to reassure everyone that everything has been thought out and all scenarios have been accounted for, and I do not doubt that the synchronization process will be smooth. People won’t feel it, either in terms of their bills or any inconvenience,” he told reporters in Elektrėnai on Thursday, the 6th of February. According to the president, connecting to the Western European grid will enable the development of new renewable energy capacities, making Lithuania more attractive to investors in the sector.
Delfi owner tries to sell lrytas.lt
As Lithuania’s Competition Council is set to issue its verdict on the acquisition of the lrytas.lt news website by Estonian media group Ekspress Grupp, which operates the Delfi news websites in the Baltic states, several sources confirmed to the vz.lt business news website that the Delfi owner is trying to sell lrytas.lt. Lrytas.lt CEO Tautvydas Mikalajūnas also expects the watchdog’s verdict at the end of this week or early next week, Mikalajūnas told the vz.lt, on Thursday, the 6th of February. In December 2023, the competition watchdog found that Ekspress Grupp had violated the Law on Competition by acquiring Lrytas, which operates the lrytas.lt news website, without notifying the authority and without obtaining its permission. The Estonian company was fined 140 000 euros and ordered to bring the infringement to an end within two months or to restore the previous situation or remedy the consequences of the infringement. Ekspress Grupp appealed to a court and asked for a temporary suspension of the order. However, the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania rejected the company’s request in February.
Interior minister suggests accepting some migrants, paying EU solidarity levy
Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič said on Wednesday, the 5th of February, that both options offered by the European Union – to pay part of the solidarity levy and accept some migrants – can be used to deal with the issue of accepting irregular migrants in Lithuania. “Taking them in or paying up solves one situation but triggers a different situation. We can do both and take some migrants and pay the solidarity levy for some of them,” Kondratovič told reporters. Last year, the EU adopted the Pact on Migration and Asylum, obliging member states to share the burden of migrants with countries that become the first stop for new arrivals to the EU. The pact also provides for the possibility for countries to contribute with technical means, which would count as part of their solidarity. Under the new arrangements, Lithuania would have to take in around 158 migrants entering the EU each year or pay 3.16 million euros.
Presidential adviser says 3.5-4% economic growth needed to better finance defence
Lithuania’s economy should grow by at least 3.5-4% annually to raise defence spending to 5-6% of GDP and to form a national military division by 2030 while also increasing people’s incomes, Vaidas Augustinavičius, President Gitanas Nausėda’s presidential advisor said on Wednesday, the 5th of February. He accentuated that there are no other ways to increase budget revenue except through higher GDP growth. In January, the president-chaired State Defense Council set a goal of allocating 5-6% of GDP to defence annually from 2026 to 2030. The country’s leaders hope that the bulk of the required funding can be secured through an EU-wide agreement on joint borrowing.
Lithuania’s HU-LCD ask president to initiate defence pact update
The opposition conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (HU-LCD) have turned to President Gitanas Nausėda, asking him to initiate an update of the existing defence agreement reached by the country’s political parties. The party’s acting chair Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė said that the appeal was sent to the president in response to the State Defence Council’s recent decision to significantly increase defence spending over the next five years. The HU-LCD has heard similar calls from the ruling Social Democrats and the Democrats “For Lithuania”, she said. The HU-LCD is also concerned about the Nemunas Dawn party being part of the ruling bloc as its leader, Remigijus Žemaitaitis, “downplays support for Ukraine, discredits Lithuania in the eyes of its partners, and downplays the importance of our defence funding”, which could become an obstacle to the implementation of the goals set, the HU-LCD acting chair said.
Lithuania to step up protection of courts
The protection of courts will be stepped up in Lithuania to make the work of judges safer. Under the plan, the police will narrow officers’ patrol zones by bringing them closer to the courts, while interim rulings issued by courts in criminal cases will be issued remotely or in writing, the Justice Ministry said on Tuesday, the 4th of February. These decisions were made by an inter-institutional working group on the protection of courts and judges, urgently set up by the minister in response to an incident at Kaunas District Court on the 16th of January when the accused attacked the judge.
Lithuania detains Belarusian nationals, 17 trucks for sanction violations
Lithuania’s Customs Criminal Service has carried out searches in Vilnius and Rudamina and detained 17 trucks and 15 semi-trailers worth 1.5 million euros as part of an investigation into violations of the existing international sanctions, the service said on Tuesday, the 4th of February. A total of 18 vehicles were seized and smuggled cigarettes were also found. Two Belarusian and two Lithuanian nationals were arrested. The CCS launched the investigation on suspicion that the companies were transporting various vehicles to Russia and Belarus in breach of the existing international sanctions. The vehicles were leaving under various pretexts, and this way a total of 30 vehicles are suspected to have ended up in Russia and Belarus, including trucks and semi-trailers, as well as luxury cars such as the 2024 BMW X3, BMW X5, BMW X6, BMW X7, Mercedes-Benz G-Class and others. The total approximate value of these cars could reach 1.7 million euros. In total, 17 trucks and 15 semi-trailers were detained in Lithuania during the investigation, worth around 1.5 million euros.
Lithuania turns away 48 irregular migrants on border with Belarus
Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away 48 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally on Tuesday, the 4th of February, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said. This is the highest number of foreign nationals denied entry at the border since October 2023. According to SBGS spokesman Giedrius Mišutis, several groups of foreign nationals attempted to cross into Lithuania illegally. Most of them – around 40 people – turned back and walked deeper into Belarus after spotting Lithuanian border guards. Border guards reported that several migrants were carrying scissors. None of the eight had identification documents, and all claimed to be Afghan citizens. Almost 4 200 irregular migrants crossed into Lithuania from Belarus illegally in 2021. However, most of them fled Lithuania once they were allowed to move freely.
Vilnius mayor suggests selling unused land, and company shares to fund defence
Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas proposed on Monday, the 3rd of February, selling unused state land and state-owned shares in companies to raise money for a significant increase in defence spending. Such land could be sold to the owners of the adjacent plots, the mayor said, estimating that such plots could raise between 80 million to 220 million euros, and even up to 400 million euros if the legal framework is improved. State-owned companies could become another source of funding, Benkunskas said.