Court orders treatment for man accused of killing Vilnius lawyer

A Vilnius court has ordered compulsory psychiatric treatment for Igor Moskaliov, who is suspected of killing a lawyer in the city centre two years ago, LRT reported Thursday. Prosecutors had asked the court to impose compulsory medical measures.

The court ruled, based on expert findings, that Moskaliov may have committed the offences while unable to understand or control his actions. He will be treated at the Rokiškis Psychiatric Hospital.

A court-ordered inpatient psychiatric assessment found that Moskaliov, born in 1962, had a chronic mental disorder and could not understand the danger of his actions or control them at the time. Specialists recommended inpatient care in a specialised mental health facility under strict observation. Moskaliov did not attend the hearings and is already receiving treatment in hospital.

Investigators say that on the morning of October 10, 2024, Moskaliov used an illegally held TT pistol to shoot and kill 69-year-old lawyer Leonidas Pčelincevas in a building on Vasario 16-osios Street in Vilnius. Pčelincevas was carrying out his professional duties. The gunfire also wounded two police officers, and investigators say Moskaliov attempted to kill a bailiff’s assistant, his former wife and a student undertaking a police internship.

The shooting took place during Moskaliov’s forced eviction from his former wife’s apartment. After firing several shots, he barricaded himself inside the apartment and was arrested by officers from the police anti-terrorist operations unit Aras. Investigators found that he did not have a licence for the TT pistol, manufactured in 1940, or its ammunition. After his arrest, he was supervised by medical staff at specialised treatment facilities.