A Lithuanian court has sentenced a man who attacked a cyclist wearing pro-Ukraine clothing to 15 months of restricted liberty.
Vilnius Regional District Court found Janas Jakštas, born 1987, guilty of property damage and minor bodily harm.
The sentence, handed down on May 12 and now final, requires him to remain in employment or register with the job centre, and to complete a programme addressing violent behaviour. He must also pay compensation to the victim and reimburse the state health insurance fund for the cyclist's medical treatment.
The court found that the attack was motivated by hatred towards the victim as a member of a group publicly supporting Ukraine – a factor treated as an aggravating circumstance.
According to the case file, on the evening of March 27, 2025, Jakštas pulled up alongside the cyclist in his car in Širvintos district and demanded he remove his Ukraine-themed shirt.
When the cyclist refused, Jakštas overtook him and swerved sharply towards the roadside, forcing the cyclist to brake suddenly and fall. He then ran over to the victim, again demanded he remove the shirt, grabbed at it himself, and when the cyclist tried to call for help on his phone, knocked him to the ground, breaking the phone in the process.
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