Seimas approves Vytautas Valentinavičius as intelligence controller
Tuesday 30th June 2026 on 14:45 in
Lithuania
Lithuania’s parliament, the Seimas, on Tuesday approved the appointment of Vytautas Valentinavičius as intelligence controller, LRT reports.
In the final vote, 82 MPs supported the candidacy, seven opposed it, and 11 abstained. The vote followed a procedural dispute after conservative MP Jurgis Razma was initially denied the floor to speak against the nomination. Seimas Speaker Daiva Žebelienė later acknowledged the oversight, allowing Razma to present his position. A subsequent vote saw 81 in favor, five against, and 12 abstentions.
Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas had introduced Valentinavičius’ candidacy last Thursday, which also received backing from the Seimas National Security and Defence Committee (NSGK). Conservative Ingrida Šimonytė and National Union representative Vytautas Sinica abstained in the committee vote.
Valentinavičius, a public policy expert and researcher at Kaunas University of Technology, has outlined priorities including systemic and risk-based intelligence oversight, assessment of personal data and privacy protection, strengthening the controller’s preventive functions, clearer legal regulation, and increasing public trust.
He was delegated to the State Progress Council earlier this year. From 2014 to 2024, he worked as a senior advisor and later head of the Human Rights Division at the Seimas Controller’s Office.
The Intelligence Controller institution was established by the Seimas in December 2021. The law provides for two intelligence controllers, whose candidates are nominated by the Speaker of the Seimas. The first intelligence controller, Nortautas Statkus, took office in April 2022.
The intelligence controller oversees the legality of intelligence institutions’ activities, examines the justification and legality of their methods, investigates potential human rights violations, and checks the legality of personal data processing. The role also involves reviewing complaints from intelligence officers, providing recommendations to intelligence institutions, and referring suspected criminal offenses to pre-trial investigation bodies or prosecutors.