Lithuanian police start protecting MP following threats

VILNIUS – Lithuania's police have started protecting MP Dovile Sakaliene after she received threats.

"Her request has been received, and, therefore, the police are ensuring her all rights involved and protection. We cannot comment on specific measures," Ramunas Matonis, spokesman for the Police Department, told BNS Lithuania.

Sakaliene also refrains from any comment regarding her protection.

Almost two dozen lawmakers have recently turned to the prosecutor general over threats made against Sakaliene. The lawmakers wanted to know if prosecutors had launched a pre-trial investigation over public threats made against Sakaliene. If not, they asked to provide reasons for that.

The MPs paid attention to the fact that Sakaliene came under barrage of threats following an incident in Kaunas, Lithuania's second-largest city, where children were taken into state care from one family after alleged abuse. Sakaliene was actively involved in the drafting of the new child rights reform and she also commented on the Kaunas family incident in the media.

Turning to prosecutors, the lawmakers paid attention to the fact that a photomontage was published on Facebook, showing Sakaliene dressed in clothes with German Nazi symbols, and a girl's silhouette was visible beside her. Also, Sakaliene's photo with a target on her forehead was published on one website.

The lawmakers said Sakaliene, a member of the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania's political group in the Seimas, had also received death threats.