Lithuanian Bar Association warns against linking lawyers with their clients

The Lithuanian Bar Association has urged the public not to conflate defence lawyers with their clients after a petition emerged calling for the removal of attorney Vaidotas Sviderskis from a high-profile murder case, LRT reports.

In a statement issued Monday, the association emphasised that lawyers must not be associated with the actions or behaviour of their clients, even when those clients face public condemnation. Such associations, it warned, threaten constitutional principles of legal defence and undermine the independence of the legal profession.

“Identifying a lawyer with their client is unacceptable in a democratic state that respects human rights,” the Bar Association stated, adding that this practice violates core legal principles, including the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair defence.

The response follows a petition on the platform *Peticijos.lt*, which calls for Sviderskis to be removed from representing Justina Gaigalaitė, accused of involvement in the murder of paramedic Mantas Sadauskas. The petition, signed by nearly 3,000 people as of Monday evening, argues that Sviderskis’ public statements—made before the trial began—attempt to sway public opinion by asserting his client’s innocence. It also criticises his “mocking, inappropriate jokes, and disrespectful tone,” which it claims have offended the victim’s family and eroded trust in the justice system.

Sviderskis, speaking to journalists last week, maintained that his client is innocent and suggested that the true suspects remain at large. The case involves three individuals: Gaigalaitė, a 34-year-old man named Vilius Solkanas, and Solkanas’ father, who was released on a €5,000 bail. Sadauskas, a 29-year-old emergency medical worker, disappeared after travelling to Paliukai village to install a trampoline. His body was later found buried on a property, alongside trampoline remnants and a firearm. Investigators suspect the crime stemmed from a personal dispute.

The Bar Association has called on the public and legal professionals to uphold human rights, trust judicial institutions, and avoid inciting hatred. It also reminded lawyers of their ethical obligations, including loyalty to clients and the presumption of innocence.