Lithuanian prosecutors launch pre-trial investigation into alleged state assistance against Lithuania

The Klaipėda Regional Prosecutor’s Office has launched a pre-trial investigation into suspected assistance to a foreign state acting against Lithuania, the Prosecutor General’s Office announced on Tuesday.

The probe follows public recordings spreading disinformation about the so-called “Klaipėda People’s Republic” and falsely claiming that Klaipėda and its seaport belong to Russia. Authorities suspect these recordings may have been intended to aid a foreign state or its organisations in undermining Lithuania’s constitutional order, sovereignty, territorial integrity, or economic and defence capabilities.

The investigation is led by prosecutors from the Organised Crime and Corruption Division of the Klaipėda Regional Prosecutor’s Office, with support from the Klaipėda County Chief Police Commissariat’s Organised Crime Investigation Board.

Earlier, Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC) reported identifying disinformation posts on TikTok and other platforms targeting the Klaipėda region. These posts, using visuals and statements, aim to cast doubt on Lithuania’s territorial integrity. While the spread of such content remains limited, the NKVC warned it could be used to fuel or sustain information attacks.

“For now, we lack reliable information linking these posts about Klaipėda to similar disinformation campaigns in Estonia or Latvia, but institutions are responding and have requested platforms remove content questioning Lithuania’s territorial unity,” the NKVC stated in a social media update.

The centre emphasised that disinformation on social platforms is often spread deliberately, leveraging emotional content and artificially amplified reach. It urged the public to avoid sharing or engaging with such posts to limit their visibility. Users who encounter suspicious content are encouraged to report it to platform administrators.

The case is being monitored by the NKVC, the State Security Department, the Lithuanian Armed Forces, police, and other analytical teams, with officials taking necessary measures in response.