The Lithuanian Migration Department is carrying out an investigation into whether Algirdas Švanys, who kidnapped his 9-month-old daughter and took her to Russia’s Kaliningrad, holds Russian citizenship.
“The Migration Department has launched procedures to clarify the circumstances. Once it is clear whether he has [Russian] citizenship and on what grounds he has it, further steps will be taken,” Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė told reporters on Wednesday.
“As you know, if you acquire citizenship of another country, you must renounce Lithuanian citizenship or lose it,” she said.
Russian officials said that Švanys, who unlawfully took his daughter to Russia, holds both Russian and Lithuanian passports, which delayed the return of the girl to Lithuania.
It has also turned out that the father had an identity document issued for the girl without the knowledge of her mother, who has custody of the child.
According to Bilotaitė, there is a loophole in Lithuanian legislation that a parent can obtain an identity document for a minor without the knowledge of the other parent.
“We are looking into this issue. All the institutions are looking at certain regulatory gaps and will come up with solutions for the future so that such situations are carefully assessed, and such things do not happen again,” the minister said.
On August 27, the girl’s mother complained to the police that Švanys took their daughter and did not return her at the agreed time.
It later turned out that the man had crossed the Skirvytė River, which marks the state border between Lithuania and Russia, taking his child to Kaliningrad.
The child was returned to the mother on Tuesday when she went to Kaliningrad. Both came back to Lithuania on the same day.
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