Lithuanian court reviews appeal in Kandrotas and Lobovas hate speech case

Vilnius Regional Court has reviewed the appeal in the case of Antanas Kandrotas-Celofanas and Andrius Lobovas, who were convicted of inciting hatred against former MP Tomas Vytautas Raskevičius over his sexual orientation, LRT reports.

The court will announce its decision on August 28. In February, a lower court found both men guilty of inciting hatred and disturbing public order. Kandrotas-Celofanas received a one-year prison sentence, while Lobovas was given a 10-month suspended sentence, along with a fine of €3,766 and an obligation to apologise to Raskevičius. Both were also ordered to pay €1,000 in non-pecuniary damages to the victim.

During the appeal hearing, Lobovas’ lawyer argued that the conviction lacked legal grounds, stating that her client’s remarks did not constitute incitement. Lobovas claimed his comment about Raskevičius having “his mouth full” was not intended to offend. Kandrotas-Celofanas, participating remotely from Belarus, argued that Raskevičius himself had used a derogatory term on social media, which he believed negated the offence.

Prosecutor Edvinas Navickas defended the original ruling, emphasising that higher standards of conduct apply in a courtroom. He requested the dismissal of the appeals.

The case stems from a 2024 incident in which Kandrotas-Celofanas and Lobovas made derogatory remarks about Raskevičius during a court session, captured in a video later shared on Facebook.