Mother of Lithuanian man accused of Nazi terrorist ties refuses to testify against son

The mother of a 22-year-old Alytus resident accused of involvement in a neo-Nazi terrorist organisation has refused to testify against her son in Vilnius Regional Court, LRT reports.

Claudio Petrukaitis Piccolo faces charges of inciting hatred against social groups, participating in a terrorist organisation, planning terrorist acts, and recruiting for terrorist activities. Prosecutors allege he was a member of Sturmjager Division, an international far-right extremist group founded in Belgium with around 200 members across multiple countries.

The organisation is accused of promoting neo-Nazi and accelerationist ideology, aiming to destabilise democratic systems through violence and terrorist acts targeting governments, minorities, and marginalised groups.

During Thursday’s hearing, shooting instructor Agnė Dženkaitytė testified remotely that Petrukaitis Piccolo attended her training sessions four years ago, learning to fire an air rifle for about a year. She described him as “no different from other children” and noted he showed no exceptional shooting skills. Questioned by defence lawyer Aušra Ručienė, she confirmed nothing about him seemed unusual at the time.

The court had also planned to hear from two additional witnesses via remote link, but they failed to connect. Their testimonies, along with those of two others, will be rescheduled for the next session.