New intelligence oversight official sworn in at Lithuanian parliament

The Lithuanian parliament (Seimas) on Tuesday swore in Vytautas Valentinavičius as the newly appointed intelligence oversight controller, as reported by LRT and ELTA.

Valentinavičius, a public policy expert and researcher at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), was appointed to the role by parliament at the end of June. He has previously highlighted priorities such as systemic and risk-based intelligence oversight, assessment of personal data and privacy protection, strengthening the preventive functions of the controller, clearer legal regulation, and increasing public trust.

Earlier this year, he was delegated to the State Progress Council. From 2014 to 2024, he worked at the Seimas Controllers’ Institution as a senior advisor and later as head of the Human Rights Division.

The Seimas established the Intelligence Controller Institution in December 2021. The law provides for two intelligence controllers in the institution, with candidates nominated by the Speaker of the Parliament. The first intelligence controller, Nortautas Statkus, was sworn in in early April 2022.

The intelligence controller continuously supervises the legality of intelligence institutions’ activities, examines the justification and legality of their methods, and investigates potential human rights violations. The role also includes overseeing the lawful processing of personal data, reviewing complaints from intelligence officers, providing recommendations to intelligence institutions, and referring to pre-trial investigation bodies or prosecutors if signs of criminal offenses are detected.