Convicted activist Ragelskis appeals social media ban

A Lithuanian court has banned pro-Russian activist Laurynas Ragelskis from using social media platforms after his conviction for mocking Belarusians and Jews, but his legal team has filed an appeal to overturn the restriction, LRT reports.

On March 4, Vilnius District Court prohibited Ragelskis from accessing or posting on platforms including YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as creating new accounts or commenting publicly online. The ban was imposed alongside a 21-month restricted freedom sentence and a €12,500 fine for desecrating a place of public respect.

Ragelskis’s lawyer, Violeta Bazienė, has challenged the verdict, arguing that if guilt is upheld, the court should replace the social media ban with community service. The appeal also seeks acquittal on all charges. Prosecutors, meanwhile, have requested an extension of Ragelskis’s restricted freedom sentence from 21 months to 24 months.

The court additionally ordered Ragelskis to complete behavioural correction programmes, register with the employment service, and perform 100 hours of unpaid work in healthcare or NGOs assisting elderly or disabled individuals. The Vilnius Regional Court will review the appeals.

According to prosecutors, Ragelskis filmed himself outside the Belarusian Embassy in Vilnius in October 2020, mocking protesters with anti-Semitic remarks, including references to “circumcised kosher Litvaks” and the Holocaust. He later uploaded the video, titled “The Most Kosher Coup! Vilnius, near the Belarusian Embassy,” to his channel, where it was publicly accessible.

Prosecutors allege Ragelskis deliberately used offensive language to provoke support for his discriminatory views, targeting groups based on their beliefs, political opinions, and ethnicity.