Court orders Irma Gajauskaitė brought in after she skips hearing

Former parliamentary candidate Irma Gajauskaitė failed to appear at a hearing in Telšiai District Court on Friday, prompting the court to order that she be brought to the next hearing, LRT reported. She is charged with contempt of court and incitement against a group of people.

When contacted by the court, Gajauskaitė said she had seen the summons but had forgotten about the hearing and did not intend to attend, court chairwoman’s adviser Kristina Videikienė told BNS. Prosecutor Aldona Jaugelienė said Gajauskaitė was required to attend. The court ordered her to be brought to the next hearing, scheduled for November 25.

The case followed a complaint by Šiauliai District Court judge Renata Maziliauskienė, who had presided over another case involving Gajauskaitė. When that case’s verdict was announced, Gajauskaitė called the judge and prosecutor insulting names and referred to journalists as scum, according to the report. A pre-trial investigation into contempt of court was opened.

Gajauskaitė is also charged in the case over derogatory comments about transgender people and Jews on Facebook. Šiauliai District Court recused itself because the complainant is one of its judges, and the case was transferred to Telšiai.

In February, Šiauliai District Court sentenced Gajauskaitė to 75 days of arrest for attempting to provoke riots, causing physical pain to her brother and publicly denigrating a group of people. On appeal, Šiauliai Regional Court dismissed the charge of causing physical pain as an insignificant act and acquitted her of publicly denigrating Jews. She remained convicted of attempting to provoke riots; the 40-day arrest sentence was suspended for one year.