Lithuania moves to tighten vetting for volunteer riflemen amid security concerns

The Lithuanian parliament has begun reviewing proposed legal amendments to strengthen background checks for members and applicants of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union (LŠS), a state-affiliated volunteer defence organisation, LRT reports.

Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas presented the draft changes this week, stating their primary goal is to “expand the scope of vetting requirements” for riflemen and candidates. Under the proposals, membership would be barred to individuals who have:

• collaborated with or maintained ties to foreign intelligence services or associated persons;
• participated in terrorist group activities;
• had contact in the past five years with individuals holding unexpired convictions for organised criminal activity;
• demonstrated personal traits in the past three years that could threaten the LŠS mission;
• psychiatric or behavioural disorders;
• advocated violations of Lithuania’s independence, territorial integrity, or constitutional order, or supported groups promoting such actions.

The State Security Department would provide data on ties to banned organisations or foreign intelligence, while applicants would submit medical documentation confirming no mental health conditions. Junior riflemen—who lack access to classified national security information—would be exempt from the checks.

A supporting memo cites annual intelligence assessments warning that “specific personal vulnerabilities” are exploited by hostile services—particularly those of Russia, Belarus, and China—for recruitment. Currently, vetting procedures are “not clearly or precisely regulated,” leaving oversight to the LŠS leadership, Kaunas noted.

The amendments also propose integrating select LŠS units into the armed forces during wartime. Designated resistance and specialised units would train alongside military counterparts in peacetime and automatically become part of the defence structure if martial law is declared, without requiring additional approval.

Lawmakers approved the draft in principle on Friday. Further discussions will take place in the National Security and Defence Committee, with a plenary vote expected by late April.