Lithuanian prosecutors charge former presidential candidate with desecration of state symbols

Lithuanian law enforcement has formally accused Eduardas Vaitkus, a former presidential candidate, of desecrating the country’s state symbols, public broadcaster LRT reported on Wednesday.

According to legal documents obtained by the ELTA news agency, the charges stem from a December 30 social media post in which Vaitkus shared a modified image of Lithuania’s national coat of arms, the Vytis. Prosecutors allege the altered design incorporated elements resembling Nazi Germany’s swastika symbolism.

The indictment states that Vaitkus “mocked the state authority” by distorting the official heraldic emblem. The post included a caption questioning whether Lithuania’s government would impose sanctions on the US for alleged pro-Kremlin policies, alongside the modified image.

Vaitkus has denied wrongdoing, calling the investigation politically motivated. In a statement to police, he claimed the content had previously been deemed lawful by Lithuanian authorities and suggested the charges were retaliation for his complaints about unauthorised displays of the Ukrainian flag at a Kaunas police station and alleged abuses of power by law enforcement officials.

Under Lithuanian criminal code, desecration of the national flag, coat of arms, or anthem—including public mockery—carries penalties ranging from community service to up to two years’ imprisonment.

Vaitkus, who placed fifth in the 2024 presidential election with 7.31% of the vote, was stripped of his Order of Gediminas knighthood last year after calling Lithuania’s presidential election illegitimate during a press conference in Minsk. His remarks, condemned as “anti-state” by Lithuanian politicians, prompted a legal challenge that remains ongoing.