Prosecutors drop investigation into Vaitkus over alleged defamation of Lithuania’s coat of arms

Lithuania’s Prosecutor General’s Office has terminated a pre-trial investigation into Eduardas Vaitkus, a former presidential candidate, who was suspected of defaming the national coat of arms by publishing an image that incorporated elements resembling Nazi Germany symbolism, the Baltic News Service (BNS) reported on Friday.

Elena Martinonienė, a spokesperson for the Prosecutor General’s Office, confirmed that the investigation was closed after it was determined that no criminal or administrative offence had been committed. According to the prosecutor’s ruling, Vaitkus denied defaming the coat of arms and stated he was unaware whether he had personally posted the image on Facebook, as others may have had access to his account.

Vaitkus also told investigators he did not understand the basis for the accusation, as the same material had previously been deemed permissible by police and prosecutors. The Lithuanian Heraldry Commission had concluded that the image showed disrespect to the state emblem and could offend the public, but this was insufficient to hold him criminally liable.

The prosecutor’s office noted that Vaitkus could have reasonably believed the use of the image was lawful, as he had previously submitted it for legal review and received confirmation that there were no grounds even for administrative proceedings. The ruling stated that, without direct intent—a necessary element of a criminal act—prosecution could not continue.

However, the decision does not mean the image’s public use is legal or appropriate, and authorities have advised against its future use. The ruling to close the investigation can be appealed to the Prosecutor General within 20 days.

BNS previously reported that Vaitkus had published the image on his Facebook page at least three times. He had described the case as politically motivated, linking the accusations to complaints about Ukrainian flags displayed on Kaunas police buildings.

Last week, prosecutors also dropped another pre-trial investigation into Vaitkus for potential assistance to a foreign state. That case was opened after he claimed during a visit to Belarus last year that Lithuania was on a path to destroying its statehood and that President Gitanas Nausėda had been elected illegally. No charges were brought in that investigation.

In the 2024 presidential election, Vaitkus received 7.31% of the vote, finishing fifth. In the parliamentary elections, his Lithuanian People’s Party failed to cross the 5% threshold, securing only 2.64% of the vote.