People granted Lithuanian citizenship by way of exception pose no threat to national security, the State Security Department (VSD) has concluded.
The intelligence agency made the conclusion after the Interior Ministry in late 2023 asked it to check 800 foreign nationals who have Lithuanian citizenship.
“The VSD, within its competence, conducted an assessment of individuals who acquired citizenship by way of exception and submitted its response to the Interior Ministry,” the agency told BNS on Thursday.
“The VSD conclusion states that the individuals on the Interior Ministry’s list [...] do not pose a threat to the security interests of Lithuania,” it said.
The ministry turned to the intelligence agency after information emerged that Ilzė Liepa, a ballet dancer who holds both Russian and Lithuanian passports, expressed support to President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
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The Citizenship Commission is due to decide in mid-February whether to recommend that Liepa be stripped of her Lithuanian citizenship.
The commission is also expected to consider Yuri Kudimov, a Russian businessman.
According to the Interior Ministry, both Liepa and Kudimov are on the list of 800 people submitted to the VSD.
The VSD said earlier that Liepa, by denying and publicly justifying Russia’s war against Ukraine, is openly condemning the Baltic states for their policies that are not in the interests of the Kremlin regime. The department also alleged that Liepa is loyal to the Russian government and could be exploited by Russian state institutions or intelligence services that carry out activities against Lithuania.
Meanwhile, Kudimov, the VSD says, obtained Lithuanian citizenship in 1998 by concealing some personal information, including the fact that he was an intelligence officer of the KGB of the Soviet Union.
The Law on Citizenship allows depriving a dual citizen of their Lithuanian citizenship granted by way of exception if the person publicly expresses support for a state that poses a threat to Lithuania or its allies’ security interests. The law was passed last year in response to an uproar caused by Russian-Lithuanian ice dancer Margarita Drobiazko who lives and performs in Russia.
Citizenship by way of exception can be granted by the Lithuanian president to individuals for special merits to the country, such as sporting or artistic accomplishments.
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