Lithuanian Supreme Court to review appeals in Petras Gražulis LGBTQI hate speech acquittal

Lithuania’s Supreme Court will examine two appeals against the acquittal of MEP Petras Gražulis in a hate speech case involving derogatory remarks about LGBTQI individuals, the court’s spokesperson Tautvilė Merkevičiūtė confirmed to BNS on Tuesday.

The court’s selection panel accepted the appeals for cassation review, with the case to be heard in open proceedings. The appeals were filed by the Prosecutor General’s Office and the lawyer representing three victims, both seeking to overturn the appellate court’s acquittal and reinstate the lower court’s guilty verdict.

In late April, Lithuania’s Court of Appeal acquitted Gražulis, ruling that while his comments about LGBTQI individuals were offensive and derogatory, they did not constitute incitement. The victims in the case described the ruling as absurd.

The Vilnius Regional Court, the first-instance court, had previously found Gražulis guilty and fined him €10,000. The politician appealed the decision, though he reportedly did not expect a favourable outcome.

Gražulis was prosecuted for public statements made on 26 May 2022, following a parliamentary session discussing a civil union bill. Prosecutors argued that his remarks—including phrases such as “A man climbs a pole and shouts that he is a homosexual,” “Where did these homosexuals come from? It’s a perversion,” “You are spreading venereal diseases,” and “God created man and woman”—were made with direct intent, knowing they were being recorded and disseminated by the media.