Lithuanian police decline to investigate complaint against LRT journalists

Lithuanian police have refused to launch a pre-trial investigation into allegations of misconduct by journalists at the national broadcaster LRT, following a complaint filed by a member of its governing council, LRT reports.

A representative of the Vilnius County Chief Police Commissariat, Julija Samorokovskaja, confirmed that authorities had reviewed the complaint submitted by council member Jonas Staselis but found no grounds to initiate proceedings. “After evaluating the collected material, no evidence was found to establish signs of a criminal offence under the Criminal Code or an administrative violation under the Code of Administrative Offences,” she stated. Any potential breaches, she added, would fall under internal disciplinary procedures rather than criminal or administrative law.

Staselis had called for an investigation into alleged public order violations and arbitrary conduct by LRT journalists. His complaint followed an incident during a council meeting several weeks ago, when dozens of LRT journalists and employees entered the session hall to voice opposition to proposed legislative amendments governing the broadcaster. The council members declined to hear their statements and adjourned the meeting after a brief recess.

The amendments, which have sparked widespread protest, include restructuring LRT’s governance by introducing a new Board, altering the composition of its Council, and revising the grounds for dismissing the director-general. Critics argue the changes threaten editorial independence, particularly a provision requiring Council approval for external media representatives to appear in LRT content—mandating disclosure of potential conflicts of interest.

Protests against the amendments have included a rally outside parliament in March, drawing around 10,000 participants under the slogan “Hands off free speech! We will not surrender.” LRT journalists have also staged on-air silent protests, which the Council has urged them to halt. The Venice Commission has since reviewed the proposed changes under an expedited procedure.

An earlier version of the amendments, which would have allowed the director-general’s dismissal via a secret vote for “improper performance of duties” or failure to secure Council approval for annual reports, faced sharp criticism from media organisations and international observers. After backlash, parliamentary leaders paused the fast-track process and formed a working group to revise the draft.