Only one person, who remains unnamed, has been accused of bearing the responsibility for the riot that broke out in front of the Lithuanian parliament building in August 2021.
A protest against the government’s vaccination and Covid management measures descended into a riot when several hundred remaining protesters refused to leave and surrounded the parliament building.
“One person is accused of organising [the riot] specifically, as provided for in Article 283(2) and (1) of the Criminal Code, and they are also charged with public incitement to violate the sovereignty of the Republic of Lithuania by violence,” chief prosecutor of Vilnius Regional Prosecutor's Office Justas Laucius said on Monday.
The prosecutor refused to name the person during a press conference on Monday. However, the prosecutor’s office has previously reported that such charges have been brought against Astra Genovaitė Astrauskaitė, a 62-year-old teacher who became notorious after participating in several far-right anti-government actions.
According to Laucius, the person accused of organising the riot is also charged with publicly calling for violent overthrow of Lithuania’s government.
Rioting, resistance, violence
The main charges in the criminal case of the August 2021 riot near the parliament are participation in the riots, resisting the police, provoking public violence and destruction of property, according to Laucius.
On Monday, the prosecutor’s office handed over to the court a 136-volume criminal case on the August 2021 riots at the Seimas.
The case includes various charges brought against 87 defendants, while proceedings against 14 other suspects were dropped. The investigation also led to administrative charges against 22 people.
In addition, eight suspects were found in possession of illegally held weapons and drugs.
Law enforcement officials interviewed 317 witnesses, including 40 members of the parliament, says Marekas Gulbinovičius, chief of Vilnius County Chief Police Commissariat.
“Initially, 36 people were detained, and at that time nobody knew the investigation would be this complicated, 101 people had to be detained during the investigation,” Gulbinovičius told reporters on Monday.
“The suspects come from different parts of Lithuania, from different cities, it took time to identify the suspects, and officials travelled all over Lithuania,” he added.
Over €90,000 in claims
Civil claims for compensation of property damage – 92,600 euros euros in total – were filed in the case by various public institutions, including the police, the Public Security Service, the Parliament Chancellery, and the national health insurance fund.
Moreover, 27 persons were declared victims in the riot case. The largest number of victims (23) were members of the police and the Public Security Service. Four victims brought civil claims for non-pecuniary damages totalling 24,500 euros. The victims include parliament members.
In total, the investigations covered 23 episodes of criminal offences, according to prosecutors.
The riot outside the parliament building in Vilnius broke out in the evening of August 10, 2021, following a rally against the government’s pandemic restrictions and vaccination policies.
Some protesters blocked exits from the parliament. The police used tear gas against the protesters, who in turn threw stones at the officers.
The police note that during and after the organised rally, a group of persons “organised and provoked a gathering of people to commit public violence, destruction of property other violations of public order”, and during the riot, persons committed violence, destruction of property, serious breaches of public order, use of explosives and resistance to the police and officers of the Public Security Service.
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