Last week, two 63-year-old men perished in blaze at Vilnius retirement home; Šiauliai decided to hold plebiscite on Soviet soldier remains removal
Court rules that state’s claim against French company justified
A court of first instance reasonably accepted the Energy Ministry’s claim for 240 million euro compensation from the French energy group Veolia for the damage it caused to the state and consumers, the Supreme Court of Lithuania has ruled in its final and biding ruling. Stating that there was no legal basis, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to accept the cassation appeal of Veolia, Vilniaus Energija and Litesko as they sought to review the 13th of July ruling of the Lithuanian Court of Appeal, which deemed the acceptance and consideration of the state’s claim to be lawful. Veolia, Vilniaus Energija and Litesko tried to prove that the regional court had violated the Lithuanian Law on Investments, misinterpreted other legislation and fundamental legal principles. Lithuania seeks to prove that Veolia and Icor unlawfully obtained lease contracts for heating businesses in ten municipalities in the country between 1999 and 2003 and unlawfully profited from heat consumers.
Lithuania reports 78 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
Lithuania recorded 78 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over Thursday, the 2nd of November, official statistics showed on Friday, the 3rd of November. The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals stands at 113, including six ICU cases. The 14-day primary infection rate has reached 173.2 cases per 100 000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 33.4%. Some 68.5% of people in the country have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far, according to the statistics.
Two 63-year-old men perish in fire at Vilnius retirement home
Two men aged 63 died in a fire at the Senevita retirement home in Vilnius on late Thursday, the 2nd of November. According to the Police Department, the charred bodies of two men were found in a room of the retirement home after the fire was extinguished there at around 11.54 p.m. They were living in the same room. A pre-trial investigation has been opened to determine the cause of death. Petras Jurgilas, the director of Senevita, believes the fire may have been caused by the victims’ smoking. According to firefighters, some people were poisoned by smoke and were treated at the scene. Three people with smoke poisoning were taken to hospital. Smoke was spread throughout the three-story building.
Šiauliai to hold plebiscite on removal of Soviet soldiers’ remains
A poll on the removal of Soviet soldiers’ remains from the city center will start next week in Šiauliai in the northwest of Lithuania. Šiauliai Mayor Arturas Visockas signed a decree on holding the poll from the 6th of November to the 6th of February next year, the city administration announced on Friday, the 3rd of November. Respondents will be asked whether they “approve of the transfer of the remains of Soviet soldiers from the Second World War from the grounds of the Cathedral of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul to a cemetery managed by the Siauliai City Council”. If 10% or more of the city’s voting population expresses its opinion, the Šiauliai Council will base its decision on that opinion and adopt a relevant decision.
President calls for political will for breakthrough as Moldova seeks to join EU
President Gitanas Nausėda had a phone conversation with Moldovan President Maia Sandu on Tuesday, the 31st of October, and called on Chisinau to pool political will for a breakthrough in Moldova’s bid to become an EU member state. “Lithuania strongly supports Moldova’s ambition to become an EU member state. The country demonstrates respect for European values, supports the EU’s common foreign policy and is effectively implementing reforms. EU enlargement would help to ensure peace and stability in Europe,” Nausėda was quoted as saying in a statement released by his press service. He says the next few months will be important for Moldova’s Euro-integration as the EC will publish a report on the progress made in implementing the recommendations on November 8, and the European Council will make decisions on the opening of EU membership negotiations in December.
Lithuanian film distributor starts operating in Estonia
The Vilnius International Film Festival announced on Tuesday, the 31st of October, it is starting operation on the Estonian film market and bringing the winners of Cannes and Sundance film festivals to cinemas here. A new film distributor has entered the Baltic cinema scene, whose partner studio is the international film studio A24. The first Kino Pavasaris Distribution films can first be seen by the Black Nights Film Festival (POFF) audience and from there on in cinemas across Estonia. The Vilnius International Film Festival (VIFF) cinema Pavasaris will celebrate its 29th anniversary in six months. Thence, the expansion.
Court to rule on Irish citizens’ cases in late November
The Supreme Court of Lithuania announced on Tuesday, the 31st of October, it will rule on the 22nd of November whether the criminal proceedings against two Irish citizens for terrorism offenses were justly terminated after the statute of limitations expired. In September 2022, the Vilnius Regional Court dismissed the criminal case of Irish citizen Liam Campbell for attempting to provide support to the Real IRA terrorist group. The same court also dropped the case of Brendan McGuigan, another Irish citizen accused of terrorist offenses. Currently, the law provides for a sentence of up to ten year in prison for the offense of supporting a terrorist organization, whereas before 2013 the Criminal Code provided for a sentence of between ten and 20 years for such an offense. The Irish duo is accused of crimes committed between 2006 and 2008.
Parliament will investigate State Security Department whistleblower story
The Lithuanian parliament Seimas on Tuesday, the 31st of October, decided to conduct a parliamentary inquiry into the whistleblower’s story related to the actions of the State Security Department’s leaders in checking the then presidential candidate’s Gitanas Nausėda’s inner circle of people. The commission is tasked with investigating the whistleblower’s information on possible unlawful collection of personal information, possible unlawful influence on intelligence activities, possible interference on the electoral process during the 2019 presidential election, possible unlawful support to the presidential campaign, possible violations of the whistleblower’s rights, possible unlawful influence on the imposition of sanctions against Belarus. In the book “The Whistleblower and the President” by journalists Dovydas Pancerovas and Birute Davidonytė, a now former SSD officer claimed that, in July 2018, he received several sheets of paper with many names and a verbal order from the department’s deputy director Remigijus Bridikis to “check one candidate’s election team and a list of possible supporters”. It turned out that the list includes Nausėda’s supporters and associates.
PM and President at odds over UK Ambassador case
With the presidential office says the president, Gitanas Nausėda, is still waiting for an independent inquiry into allegations against the country’s Ambassador to the UK, Eitvydas Bajarūnas, who has been summoned to Vilnius for consultations, the prime minister, Ingrida Šimonytė, said on Monday, the 30th of October, that there are no provisions for such an inquiry in the country’s legislation. Some time ago, Bajarūnas was accused by staff in London of misconduct and the violation of working conditions. Having looked into the complaints, the Inspectorate General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs found irregularities and proposed considering Bajarūnas’ suitability to head the embassy. In mid-October, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis suspended Bajarūnas and summoned him to Vilnius for consultations. Nausėda then called the decision half-hearted. For his part, Bajarūnas has requested an independent investigation, claiming that he is being subjected to psychological abuse by the ministry, because his reputation is being damaged by information leaks to the media.
Foreign ministry sends note to Belarus over menacing statement
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry on Monday, the 30th of October, handed a note of protest to a representative of Belarus over a threatening statement by a Minsk official. The note was handed to Belarus’ charge d’affaires ad interim Yaroslav Khmyl over a statement by Pavel Muraveiko, the first deputy state secretary of the Security Council of Belarus, which was published in the Vechernyj Minsk newspaper on the 24th of October. Muraveiko stated that Lithuania’s restrictions on the cross-border movement of goods constituted to economic aggression that could be fought with arms. In June, the Lithuanian government temporarily banned the movement of dual-use goods through and out of Lithuania as they could go to Russia and Belarus and be used in the war against Ukraine.
Week in Lithuania | Parliament decides to investigate SSD whistleblower story scathing President, Foreign ministry sends note to Belarus over threatening statement
