Lithuanian court to hear testimony from Tapinas and Ohman in Jakilaitis defamation case

A Vilnius district court will hear testimony from Jonas Ohman, head of the Ukraine-supporting organisation Blue/Yellow, and journalist Andrius Tapinas in a civil defamation case brought by journalist Edmundas Jakilaitis against parliamentarian Remigijus Žemaitaitis, LRT reports.

Jakilaitis’ lawyer, Algimantas Šindeikis, submitted a request on Monday to question these and other witnesses, arguing their statements would help reveal “a broader picture” of Žemaitaitis’ claims. The politician opposed the motion, calling it a deliberate attempt to prolong proceedings and insisting the named individuals had no connection to the case. He proposed an immediate substantive hearing, but the court ruled to proceed with witness testimony instead.

The next hearing is scheduled for July 8.

Jakilaitis’ lawsuit alleges that Žemaitaitis’ public statements were unethical, lacked factual basis, and damaged his reputation, dignity, and professional standing. He is seeking €10,000 in non-pecuniary damages and legal costs. The dispute stems from a 2023 Facebook post by Žemaitaitis, who shared a clip from Jakilaitis’ funeral and wrote: “Did exhaust fumes attack E. Jakilaitis? How a Kremlin worm wriggles to impress the conservative crowd.” Jakilaitis’ lawyer filed a complaint with prosecutors, leading to a pre-trial investigation for potential slander, though it was later terminated.

Speaking to LRT, Jakilaitis stated that phrases like “Kremlin worm” crossed acceptable boundaries and caused real harm. “There are limits no one should cross. I believe I’ll prove the damage, and there must be accountability,” he said.

This is not the first legal case against Žemaitaitis over public statements. In April 2024, the Klaipėda Regional Court upheld a lower court’s ruling that his claims about activist Andrius Tapinas and his organisation Laisvės TV were false and damaging. Žemaitaitis was ordered to delete the posts, pay €2,000 to Tapinas and €1,000 to Laisvės TV in non-pecuniary damages, plus €7,200 in legal fees. The case centred on Žemaitaitis’ allegations about fundraising irregularities for a Bayraktar drone purchase.