Last week, the top news in Lithuania were Lithuania banning the George ribbon used by Russia, migrants were turned away on Lithuania-Belarus border and the Lithuanian Orthodox Church voiced its stance on Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Lithuanian Orthodox Church head denies supporting war
Metropolitan Inokentiy, head of the Lithuanian Orthodox Archdiocese, dismissed on Tuesday, April 19, allegations that Lithuanian Orthodox clergy are supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine, and accused three sacked priests of conspiracy. It was reported last week that Metropolitan Inokentiy had dismissed Vitalijus Mockus, Gintaras Jurgis Sungaila and Vitalis Dauparas from their duties. Sungaila and Dauparas were also suspended from any active ministry within the Church. All three priests have criticized Russia’s aggression and condemned statements by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. In October 2018, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople agreed to recognize the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Lithuanian Orthodox Church, one of Lithuania’s nine traditional religious communities, is a metropolitanate within the Patriarchate of Moscow and All Russia.
Lithuania bans Georgian ribbon, other symbols of Russia’s war against Ukraine
Lithuania banned on Tuesday, April 19, the public display of the black and orange ribbon of Saint George and other symbols of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Anyone defying the ban will face fines. The parliament, the Seimas, passed the respective amendments to the Law on Administrative Offences and the Law on Assemblies in a vote of 124 to one with two abstentions. The new legislation has yet to be signed into law by President Gitanas Nausėda. The amendments specify in particular that «the two-colour (black and orange) St George’s Ribbon shall be deemed» such a symbol in all cases. The ban also covers the letters «Z» and «V», which have become the symbols of Russia’s war in Ukraine. The public display of the symbols will be punishable by fines of 300 to 700 euros for individuals and up to 1,200 for legal entities. Currently, the Law on Assemblies prohibits the display of the flags, coats of arms and uniforms of Nazi Germany, the USSR, or the Lithuanian SSR, as well as the symbols of Nazi or Communist organizations.
80 asylum applications from Russian, Belarusian citizens lodged in
Lithuania has received asylum applications from 30 Russian citizens and approximately 50 Belarusian nationals so far this year, the Interior ministry said on Tuesday, April 19. The Russians and Belarusians applying for asylum in Lithuania indicate, as reasons, the wish to avoid the war in Ukraine and/or military service or fears of political persecution. Laurynas Kasčiūnas, chairman of the Lithuanian parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defence (CNSD), says that the most important task of competent authorities was to prevent fraud schemes involving people wishing to move to the European Union under the guise of opposition activities. Experts claim that Russian citizens should be made subject to the most stringent requirements for migration and the issue of residence permits in view of the war in Ukraine.
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Lithuania launches new campaign against war in Ukraine
The Andrei Sakharov Research Centre for Democratic Development at Lithuania’s Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas has launched a communication campaign «I am not Sakharov but…” against the war in Ukraine. The aim of the campaign is to raise public awareness of the importance of human rights during the war and to remind of the values advocated by Andrei Sakharov, prominent Russian dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Vytautas Landsbergis, Lithuania’s first post-independence leader, has become the face of the campaign. According to Landsbergis, it would be great if as many people as possible remember the prominent Russian dissident and his works. Andrei Sakharov (1921–1989) was a Soviet nuclear physicist, dissident, Nobel laureate, and activist for disarmament, peace and human rights.
Lithuanian prosecutors mull appealing MG Group political corruption case
Lithuanian prosecutors’ office will decide on an appeal in the high-profile political corruption case involving MG Group, one of Lithuania’s biggest business groups formerly known as MG Baltic, within 20 days, Justas Laucius, the public prosecutor, said on Wednesday, April 20. Earlier on Tuesday, the court acquitted all defendants in the high-profile political corruption case, in which Raimondas Kurlianskis, former vice-president of MG Group, was indicted on charges of bribery and influence peddling. Meanwhile, Eligijus Masiulis, a former leader of the Liberal Movement, Šarūnas Gustainis, a former member of that party, and Labor Party MP Vytautas Gapšys were charged with receiving bribes. Gintaras Steponavičius, a former Liberal parliamentarian, was charged with abuse of power. The court also acquitted MG Group, the Liberal Movement and the Labour Party, which had been charged as legal entities, after finding no traces of criminal activities in their actions.
Lithuania’s Linas Agro selling its business in Russia
Lithuania’s agricultural and food industry group Linas Agro Group is selling its business in Russia, the vz.lt news website reported on Wednesday, April 20. Information about potential buyers has not been disclosed thus far. Decisions related to the group’s exit from Belarus would be made in the coming months, Mažvydas Šileika, the group’s CFO, told the news website. Last July, Linas Agro Group acquired KG Group, an agricultural product processing and food production group, including its companies in Russia and Belarus. Linas Agro Group, which controls 75 businesses active in eight countries, is the biggest agricultural and food industry group in the Baltic countries.
Economist sees inflation peaking in May-June
Inflation in Lithuania should peak in May-June and should be followed by deflation in 2023, Žygimantas Mauricas, chief economist at Luminor bank, said on Thursday, April 21. According to the bank’s latest forecasts released on Wednesday, April 20, average annual inflation should reach 13.5 percent in Lithuania this year, up from previously projected 7.8 percent. For 2023, the bank now forecasts a deflation rate of 1 percent. According to Mauricas, inflation would be driven down by tighter fiscal and monetary policies in advanced countries, decreasing pressure on global supply chains and the expected fall in prices for energy resources and other commodities.
Lithuania turns 18 irregular migrants away on border with Belarus
Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away 18 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Friday, April 22. The SBGS also reported that border guards and troops assisting them had not used their service guns in the past 24 hours. Border guards refused entry to six migrants on Wednesday, April 20, after recording no attempted illegal crossings in the previous five days. A total of 1,372 people have been prevented from crossing from Belarus into Lithuania at non-designated places so far this year. Lithuanian border guards sent 8,106 people back to Belarus between last August, when they were given the right to deny entry to irregular migrants, and December.
Week in Lithuania: Lithuanian Orthodox church voices its stance on war, Russian aggressor symbols banned, migrants turned away on Belarus border
