Estonia has extradited Russian citizen Vadim Konoshchenok, suspected employee of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), to the US, BNS reports. Konoshchenok was arraigned at a federal court in New York on 14 July 2023. He is suspected of violating sanctions by smuggling strictly regulated electronics and tactical ammunition of US origin from Estonia to Russia….
The Lithuanian Armed Forces (LGP) remain the country’s most trusted institution, according to a new Baltijos Tyrimai poll for LRT. The survey showed that 76% of respondents had confidence in LGP in June 2023. Another 71% trust the police, followed by the Catholic church with 66%, the president with 66%, the State Social Insurance Fund…
Lithuania’s Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling of the Vilnius Regional Court in the Energy Ministry’s case against French energy group Veolia, Baltic News Network reports. The court rejected appeals from Veolia, Vilniaus Energija, and Litesko against the Energy Ministry’s claim of EUR 240mn in compensation for damages caused to the state. The Court…
Latvia’s Ministry of Justice plans to propose amendments that would abolish conditional prison sentences, replacing them with probation, LSM reports. Anda Smiltena, deputy secretary of state at the Ministry of Justice, said that the State Probation Service’s (VPD) task would be to influence the thinking of the offender and correct their behaviour. The measures would…
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics has asked Prosecutor General Juris Stukans to explain why a Latvian citizen who provided support to Russia got away with just a fine, LSM reports. Earlier, a court found Marats Kasems, editor of Russian propaganda agency Sputnik’s Lithuanian edition, guilty of supporting Russia’s activities against Latvia and sentenced him to a…
Lithuania’s Court of Appeal has partially granted a petition of the Algerian manufacturer of industrial equipment, Aero Delta, against the Lithuanian aircraft maintenance company, Aviabaltika, to arrest about EUR 980,000 of Aviabaltika’s assets, LRT reports. However, the court rejected Aero Delta’s request to arrest the assets of the newly-established company, Realest, to which Aviabaltika transferred…
An administrative court in Latvia has upheld the decision of the National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) to annul the broadcasting license of the independent Russian TV channel, Dozhd (TV Rain), TVNET reports. Dozhd announced that it would appeal the ruling in all instances, including in the European Court of Human Rights if necessary. Dozhd…
Lithuania’s Constitutional Court ruled that legislation allowing the spelling of names of Lithuanian citizens in Latin-based non-Lithuanian characters in official documents does not violate the country’s Constitution, Baltic News Network reports. A group of 30 MPs, mostly from the opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVZS), had petitioned the court over the constitutionality of the…
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office has appointed Lithuania’s Gedgaudas Norkunas as one of the EU prosecutors, the Justice Ministry announced, BNS reports. Previously, Norkunas served as a European delegated prosecutor. The new EU prosecutors will take up their posts on 29 July 2023 for a term in office of three years. Half of of the…