American ice skater granted citizenship

Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaite  has granted  the Lithuanian citizenship to American ice skater Isabella Tobias citizenship. reports ELTA.

Grybauskaite took into consideration that the ice dancers Isabella Tobias and Deividas Stagniunas of Lithuania had already won the right to participate in the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics in which they were to represent Lithuania.

Moreover, Lithuania's President decided to grant the citizenship to American ice skater taking into consideration that Tobias had been in a relationship with Stagniunas for over three years. She is learning the Lithuanian language and passed the Lithuanian language examination. It is the first time Grybauskaite has exceptionally granted citizenship.

Earlier, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite refused to grant citizenship to figure skating representative, USA national Tobias. The 21 year old needed a Lithuanian passport to be able to represent Lithuania in winter Olympic Games with Lithuanian ice skater Deividas Stagniunas (27).

In 2006, the Constitutional Court ruled that future merits cannot become the basis of granting citizenship of Lithuania. Under the Lithuanian Law of Citizenship, Lithuanian citizenship can be granted to foreign nationals only if they have indisputable merits to Lithuania, are integrated into Lithuania's society and are related to Lithuania by factual links.