Lithuania: Leader of the Ruling Coalition Party Found Guilty of Antisemitism 0 29

A Lithuanian court on Thursday found the leader of one of the parties in the country's coalition government guilty of antisemitic remarks and fined him 5,000 euros.

The Vilnius District Court established that Remigijus Žemaitis incited hatred against Jews, grossly downplayed the crimes of Nazi Germany, and belittled the significance of the Holocaust by using offensive and obscene expressions.

The imposed penalty was significantly lighter than the prosecution's demands, which sought a fine of 51,000 euros and a donation to a fund for victims of crimes.

The case is related to social media posts and public statements made by the politician in May and June 2023. In one of the posts, he wrote:

"Apparently, for our journalists and local Lithuanian Jews, the destruction of schools in Palestine is just another entertainment?!"

He also quoted an antisemitic children's rhyme and made comments regarding events of World War II.

"Žemaitis chose and used expressions that demean human dignity, offend it, and demonstrate hatred."

In 2024, Žemaitis resigned from the Lithuanian parliament after the Constitutional Court ruled that his statements violated his oath and the Constitution. However, at the end of last year, he returned to politics, leading the populist party Nemuno Aušra ("Neman Dawn"), which joined the coalition government formed by the left-leaning Social Democrats. Žemaitis does not hold a position in Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė's cabinet.

In its ruling on Thursday, the court found that his rhetoric exceeded the limits of freedom of expression.

Žemaitis, who denies the offenses and intends to appeal, was not present at the hearings. Later, he told reporters:

"Everyone understands that this is a politicized decision."

The Social Democrats, in an official statement on Facebook, emphasized that any form of antisemitism, hate speech, or Holocaust denial is unacceptable and incompatible with their values. They added that they respect the court's decision but noted that it is not yet final.