Lithuanian court rules Šimaitis’ Facebook post defamed Malinauskas

A Lithuanian court has ruled that a Facebook post by public figure Raimondas Šimaitis defamed blogger Skirmantas Malinauskas, according to a report by LRT.

Vilnius District Court announced on Friday that Šimaitis had damaged Malinauskas’ dignity and reputation in a September 2025 post suggesting the blogger may have been sexually abused. Judge Erika Zablockaja partially granted Malinauskas’ civil claim, ordering Šimaitis to pay 500 euros in non-pecuniary damages.

The court rejected the remainder of Malinauskas’ claim, ruling that Šimaitis’ post was an expression of opinion rather than a statement of fact. However, it found that this opinion had still damaged Malinauskas’ dignity and reputation.

The decision is not yet final and may be appealed. Malinauskas had previously stated that Šimaitis had accused his father of being a KGB agent and suggested the blogger had been abused by his father in other Facebook posts. Šimaitis denied these were factual claims, describing them as rhetorical and absurd.

Malinauskas had sought 1,000 euros in damages and a court declaration that Šimaitis’ posts were untrue and damaging to his reputation. He also mentioned that a pre-trial investigation was underway regarding Šimaitis’ statements.