“The data collected in this pre-trial investigation (…) allow us to reasonably believe that on <a href="https://www.archyde.com/bridging-days-2022-how-to-maximize-your-vacation-days/” title=”Bridging days 2022: How to maximize your vacation days”>May 26, 2022, at around 12:00 p.m., the member of the Seimas, Petras Gražulis, while speaking publicly in the premises of the Seimas, he possibly committed a criminal act, provided for in the second part of Article 170 of the Criminal Code – he publicly mocked and insulted a group of people, members of the LGBT+ community, because of their sexual orientation,” said Nida Grunskienė in her address to the Seimas.
According to her, such a conclusion is made possible by the totality of data – interview protocols of witnesses and victims, video and audio recordings, linguistic expertise.
According to the official, five persons and the public institution “European Human Rights Foundation” were recognized as victims in the aforementioned pre-trial investigation.
“In the case of the pre-trial investigation, 18 witnesses have been interviewed, as many as three expert conclusions have been sent and received, and other pre-trial investigation actions have been carried out, and seven video recordings of the Seimas member’s statements have been viewed,” said N. Grunskienė.
According to her, the investigation, which started on May 27 last year, took time because three tasks were assigned to specialists.
The Seimas member himself was questioned as a special witness, but, according to the prosecutor, he refused to testify, claiming that he did not see his guilt. On Thursday, he told reporters in the Seimas that he was not going to apologize to the victims because he had simply quoted the Holy Scriptures.
According to the General Prosecutor, without removing the immunity of Mr. Gražulis, further investigation of the case is impossible.
“We will not have the right to serve a notice of suspicion on a member of the Seimas, and the process will not be possible until the member of the Seimas is a member of the Seimas,” she said.
While addressing the Seimas before N. Grunskienei, P. Gražulis publicly appealed to Jurgis Razmas, the conservative first deputy speaker of the Seimas, who presided over the meeting, to hand over a Soviet tanker’s car to the leader of the parliament, Viktorija Čmilyte-Nielsen, because her grandfather allegedly “brought freedom to Lithuania with a tank”. According to Mr. Gražulis, he was allegedly asked to hand over this letter by a person he met at a rally near the Seimas on Thursday.
“Look, this is a uniform for Čmilyta. Will she ever apologize for her grandfather’s crimes against Lithuania? Oh, prosecutor, the Soviets didn’t stumble, and you won’t either,” declared P. Gražulis.
The Speaker of the Seimas is on a visit to Taiwan and Japan this week.
The former head of parliament, Viktoras Pranckietis, in turn, asked the general prosecutor to assess whether Mr. Gražulis did not violate another law by displaying Soviet symbols in the Seimas hall.
“Doesn’t the display of Soviet symbols violate order?” he asked.
Lithuanian laws prohibit the public display of Soviet and Nazi symbols.
On Thursday, the parliamentarians should form a commission of inquiry to investigate whether there is a basis for destroying Mr. Gražulis’ legal immunity, or whether the parliamentarian is not being persecuted because of his political beliefs.
Prosecutors started a pre-trial investigation into Mr. Gražulis’ behavior last May after the Seimas member’s public statements about members of the LGBTIQ community.
On May 26 of last year, after the Seimas approved the Civil Union Law Bill legalizing same-sex partnerships, P. Gražulis, after leaving the plenary meeting hall in the Seimas, met several representatives of the LGBTIQ community and cursed them, called them degenerates spreading venereal diseases, and offered them treatment .
The Criminal Code stipulates that whoever publicly mocked, insulted, incited hatred or incited discrimination against a group of people or a person belonging to it on the basis of age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, race, skin color, nationality, language, origin, ethnic origin, social status , faith, beliefs or views, may be punished by a fine, restriction of liberty, arrest or deprivation of liberty for up to two years.
According to the Constitution, without the consent of the Seimas, a member of the Seimas cannot be prosecuted, arrested, or his freedom restricted in any other way.
For the second time in this term, the Prosecutor General will request to revoke the legal immunity of P. Gražulis, MP of the Mixed Group of Seimas Members.
In December 2020, it was revoked to allow the politician to be charged with abuse in the Judex dumpling case.
According to law enforcement, using his status as a member of the Seimas, Mr. Gražulis helped manage the problems of the frozen food company Judex when Russian officials found listeria bacteria in the company’s products in 2015.
For this, the Court of Appeal of Lithuania awarded the politician more than 15 thousand last June. EUR fine and ordered to confiscate over 3.3 thousand. euros. On November 7 of this year, the Supreme Court of Lithuania should announce the final verdict in this case.
In addition, Mr. Gražulis was charged for intentionally voting for another member of the Seimas.
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#Prosecutor #recorded #Gražulis #mock #representatives #LGBTIQ #community
2024-09-08 23:25:26
What are the implications of revoking Petras Gražulis’ legal immunity for his controversial remarks about the LGBT+ community?
Table of Contents
Lithuanian Politician Petras Gražulis Faces Controversy Over LGBT+ Remarks and Immunity
Petras Gražulis, a member of the Lithuanian parliament, has found himself at the center of a controversy surrounding his public statements about the LGBT+ community. In May 2022, Gražulis made comments that were deemed insulting and discriminatory towards LGBT+ individuals, sparking outrage and prompting a pre-trial investigation [[1]]. The investigation, which was launched in May 2022, has concluded that Gražulis’ statements may have violated Article 170 of the Lithuanian Criminal Code, which prohibits publicly mocking, insulting, or inciting hatred towards a group of people based on their sexual orientation.
According to the prosecutor, Gražulis’ comments, which were made in the Seimas (Lithuanian parliament) hall, were directed towards members of the LGBT+ community and were deemed hateful and discriminatory. The investigation, which took over a year to complete, involved interviewing 18 witnesses, gathering video and audio recordings, and conducting linguistic expertise [[1]].
Gražulis, who is also the chairman of theUnion of Nations and Justice [[2]], has refused to apologize for his comments, stating that he was simply quoting the Holy Scriptures. He has also been accused of displaying Soviet symbols in the Seimas hall, which is illegal in Lithuania [[1]].
The controversy surrounding Gražulis’ comments has led to calls for his legal immunity to be revoked, which would allow him to be prosecuted for his actions. This is not the first time that Gražulis has faced legal troubles; in 2020, his immunity was revoked in connection with a corruption case involving the frozen food company Judex [[3]].
The case has sparked a broader debate about the limits of free speech and the importance of protecting minority groups from discrimination. The Lithuanian LGBT+ community has been vocal in calling for Gražulis to be held accountable for his actions, and for the government to take stronger action to protect LGBT+ individuals from discrimination.
As the case moves forward, it remains to be seen whether Gražulis’ immunity
Lithuanian MP Petras Gražulis Under Fire for LGBT+ Contempt
Petras Gražulis, a member of the Lithuanian Seimas, is facing investigation for allegedly committing a criminal act by publicly mocking and insulting the LGBT+ community due to their sexual orientation [[1]]. The pre-trial investigation, which began on May 27, 2022, has gathered significant evidence, including interview protocols of witnesses and victims, video and audio recordings, and linguistic expertise.
According to Nida Grunskienė, the General Prosecutor, the investigation has reason to believe that Gražulis committed a criminal act, as defined in the second part of Article 170 of the Criminal Code [[1]]. Five individuals and the public institution “European Human Rights Foundation” have been recognized as victims in this investigation.
The investigation has been ongoing for over a year, and during this time, 18 witnesses have been interviewed, three expert conclusions have been sent and received, and seven video recordings of Gražulis’ statements have been viewed [[1]]. However, Gražulis has refused to testify, claiming that he does not see his guilt.
The General Prosecutor has requested that the Seimas lift Gražulis’ immunity from prosecution, stating that without it, further investigation is impossible [[2]]. The Seimas is scheduled to form a commission of inquiry to investigate whether there is a basis for destroying Gražulis’ legal immunity or if the parliamentarian is being persecuted due to his political beliefs [[1]].
Gražulis has been no stranger to controversy, having been impeached last year for voting on behalf of another MP [[3]]. Moreover, he has faced criticism for his behavior in the Seimas, including displaying Soviet symbols, which are prohibited in Lithuania [[1]].
The case against Gražulis has sparked heated debate in Lithuania, with many calling for his prosecution and removal from office. As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen what consequences Gražulis will face for his alleged actions.
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