Miliūtė wins appeal as middle-finger case is dropped

Journalist and television host Rita Miliūtė has won an appeal against a 15-euro fine for showing her middle finger toward the Lithuanian parliament during a protest, LRT reports. The administrative offence case has been discontinued.

The decision was issued by the Administrative Offences Cases Examination Division of the Vilnius County Chief Police Commissariat.

The decision states that there were no grounds to conclude that Miliūtė’s actions contained signs of the administrative offence provided for under Article 481, Part 1, of the Code of Administrative Offences.

Miliūtė was fined after showing her middle finger toward the parliament while speaking from the stage at a protest titled “Hands off free speech!” She later said that the governing majority was legally illiterate and lacked the competence to govern the country.

According to BNS, administrative proceedings over the gesture were launched at Vilnius’ Third Police Commissariat in April. In mid-June, Vilnius County police spokeswoman Julija Samorokovskaja said an administrative offence report had been drawn up over a minor breach of public order and that Miliūtė had been instructed to pay 15 euros.

Miliūtė said at the time that she intended to appeal the decision, stressing that her objection was not about being unable to pay the fine. She said she had not intended to disturb public order or the composure of people attending the protest, and that the gesture had not been accidental.