Lithuanian Supreme Court returns sanctions case of Stanislovas Tomas to regional court

Lithuania’s Supreme Court (LAT) has overturned a lower court’s ruling in the administrative violation case of Stanislovas Tomas, who was penalised for breaching international sanctions, and sent the matter back to the regional court for reconsideration, LRT reports.

Tomas was administratively punished for failing to seek permission to receive funds from Russia’s “Pravfond” foundation, which is subject to international sanctions, and for instructing that the money be transferred to an account he opened at a bank registered in Panama.

Both the district and regional courts had previously upheld the penalty, ruling that the punishment was justified. However, the Supreme Court rejected Tomas’s argument that he was not a proper subject of the administrative offence in question. The judicial panel noted that Tomas was a citizen of Lithuania during the relevant period, and his declared residence in various foreign states had no legal bearing on his administrative liability as a Lithuanian citizen.

The court also found that the lower courts had correctly denied Tomas’s request for a Spanish-language interpreter, as he was deemed proficient in Lithuanian, both spoken and written.

Additionally, the Supreme Court ruled that open-source intelligence and journalistic investigation data could be used as evidence in administrative proceedings, provided they meet all legal requirements. It dismissed Tomas’s claim that the findings of an international journalistic investigation were fabricated and thus inadmissible.

However, the Supreme Court determined that the regional court had failed to properly review the legality and justification of the district court’s decision. As a result, it annulled the regional court’s ruling and returned the case for a fresh examination.