Police halt administrative case against Žemaitaitis for Vilkaviškys incident

Lithuanian police have dropped an administrative case against Remigijus Žemaitaitis, leader of the opposition party “Nemuno aušra” (Dawn of Nemunas), over an incident in Vilkaviškys where he pushed a young man during a public meeting, BNS reports.

The incident occurred on the evening of January 19 in the Vilkaviškys District Municipality public library. During a meeting with the local community, Žemaitaitis pushed a young man holding a sign reading “Ruzzija” (a derogatory reference to Russia) and a pointing gesture toward the exit. The young man, along with others, was chanting “go home, liar, go home” in protest against Žemaitaitis. Organisers had previously announced that minors and protesters would not be admitted to the event.

Žemaitaitis claimed he pushed the young man because he was shoving elderly attendees. The prosecutor’s office initially launched an investigation but later terminated it. Police then opened an administrative case for a possible minor public order violation.

The Seimas Ethics and Procedures Commission also reviewed the politician’s conduct and concluded in May that his actions violated principles of respect for individuals and the state, as well as justice, decency, and integrity.