Lithuania’s government has dismissed claims by Remigijus Žemaitaitis about an alleged coup plot later this year, describing the remarks as political theatre.
Speaking on the controversial OpTV internet programme on May 22, Žemaitaitis, leader of Nemunas Dawn party, claimed a “brutal” domestic coup involving “physical violence” could take place in September or October.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, Ignas Dobrovolskas, said the government had no information suggesting such a scenario and that the remarks would be assessed by law enforcement authorities.
Lithuanian prosecutors have already instructed police to evaluate the claims.
Mindaugas Sinkevičius, leader of the Social Democrats, dismissed the comments by his coalition partner as nonsense, while Speaker of the Seimas Juozas Olekas urged politicians to use more responsible public rhetoric.
Žemaitaitis is also facing several separate legal investigations.
One pre-trial investigation concerns his remarks describing Lithuania’s March 11. 1990 declaration of independence as a coup and portraying the signatories of the independence act as participants in an uprising. Prosecutors are examining the case under laws covering public approval of or gross trivialisation of crimes.
Authorities are also investigating possible fraud linked to the rental of vehicles by members of the Nemunas Dawn party, after allegations that cars were formally rented to the party while continuing to be used privately by politicians.
In a separate case, Žemaitaitis was previously found guilty by a lower court of inciting hatred and Holocaust denial. The case is currently being heard by Lithuania’s Court of Appeal. The charges relate to earlier social media posts in which he referred to Israelis as animals and accused Jews of contributing to the destruction of the Lithuanian nation.
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