Former president’s backer poses threat to national security – court

The Regional Administrative Court has ruled that Russian citizen Yury Borisov, backer of former president Rolandas Paksas, who was impeached and removed from office in 2004, poses a threat to Lithuania’s national security.

As a result, Borisov’s permanent residence permit is annulled and he is barred from entering Lithuania for five years.

Borisov had appealed the decision of the Migration Department to court, but the appeal was rejected as baseless.

“The panel of judges adopted the ruling taking into account threats Borisov poses to the security of the Lithuanian state,” the court stated.

The court’s judgement is not final and Borisov filed an appeal on Friday, which was transferred to the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania.

Then president Paksas was impeached and removed from office in 2004 for granting Borisov Lithuanian citizenship a year earlier in return for financial and other substantial support that he had provided to Paksas.