Panevėžys court sends arrest documents to police for Bartoševičius

The Panevėžys Regional Court on Monday sent enforcement documents to Vilnius County Police for the arrest of Kristijonas Bartoševičius, a former member of the Seimas, following the final ruling in his criminal case, LRT reports.

Judge Valdas Ciesiūnas signed the enforcement order for Bartoševičius’ seven-year prison sentence for sexual crimes against minors. The court’s communications officer, Jolita Gudelienė, confirmed that the documents were forwarded to the Vilnius County Chief Police Commissariat for execution.

The Lithuanian Court of Appeal had previously upheld the lower court’s verdict, rejecting Bartoševičius’ appeal. The three-judge panel ruled that his guilt was established beyond doubt, noting that the crimes were committed systematically over two years against one child.

Bartoševičius had remained free under a written pledge not to leave the country until the ruling took effect. His legal team may still appeal to the Supreme Court of Lithuania or request a suspension of the sentence, though his lawyer previously stated that strong justification would be required for such a motion.

In addition to the prison term, Bartoševičius was barred for five years from working in any profession involving minors. The court also ordered him to pay €32,000 in compensation for material and non-material damages to victims. The case was heard in closed sessions to protect the privacy of the underage victims and witnesses.