Šalčininkai politician loses council seat after domestic violence conviction

The Central Electoral Commission of Lithuania (VRK) has revoked the mandate of Jaroslav Voitechovič, a member of the Šalčininkai District Municipal Council, following his conviction for domestic violence, LRT.lt reports.

Voitechovič, a member of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania–Christian Families Alliance (LLRA-KŠS), was stripped of his seat on Friday after a court ruling against him came into force on May 14. The commission’s decision was unanimous and made without debate.

A higher court had previously rejected Voitechovič’s appeal, upholding a Vilnius Regional Court verdict that sentenced him to seven months of restricted freedom without electronic monitoring. He was also ordered to complete a six-month programme addressing violent behaviour.

Under Lithuanian law, a convicted municipal council member automatically loses their mandate once a guilty verdict takes effect. Voitechovič will be replaced by Honorata Andruškevič, the next candidate on the LLRA-KŠS party list.

The investigation into Voitechovič began in September last year after police received a report of potential domestic violence. The case was handled by the Elektrėnai Police Commissariat.

A long-standing LLRA-KŠS member, Voitechovič had served multiple terms in the Šalčininkai council. In last year’s parliamentary elections, he initially ranked 99th on the party’s list but moved to 29th after securing preference votes.