US State Department report mentions Lithuanian MP Zemaitaitis' anti-Semitism case

VILNIUS - The US State Department's latest report on the human rights situation in Lithuania draws attention to the case of Remigijus Zemaitaitis, the leader of the Nemunas Dawn party, part of the ruling bloc in Lithuania, on charges of incitement to hatred against Jews and Holocaust denial.

Published on Tuesday, the report concludes that there were no significant changes in the human rights situation in Lithuania last year.

The report points out that Lithuania's Constitutional Court ruled in April last year that MP member Remigijus Zemaitaitis broke his oath and grossly violated the Constitution by posting anti-Semitic content on Facebook.

The Constitutional Court found that with his remarks, Zemaitaitis disregarded the imperative of fostering national concord, as enshrined in the preamble of the Constitution, and, as a MP, failed to adhere to his oath and fulfill his duty to uphold the Constitution and laws.

While the Constitution gives a person the right to hold beliefs and express them freely, it prohibits demeaning the dignity of others, violating their equal rights, inciting discord, and demonstrating disrespect or hatred, the top court said.

After this ruling, Zemaitaitis stepped down as an MP to avoid impeachment and still be able to stand as a candidate for president or a member of the Seimas.

Lithuania's prosecution service later also opened an investigation into Zemaitaitis' statements, finding that the politician incited hatred and contempt towards Jews and publicly endorsed the crimes of Nazi Germany.

The law enforcement authorities referred the case to the Vilnius Regional Court, where it is currently pending.

The case was brought against Zemaitaitis after his public statements he made about Jews in May and June last year on Facebook. Among other things, he called Israelis animals and claimed that Jews had contributed to the annihilation of the Lithuanian nation.

The politician does not admit his guilt, claims that he was not referring to Jews as a nation, but was criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his country's retaliatory military action in the Gaza Strip, also adding that he does not see any hatred in his statements.