"The Third Police Station of Vilnius City received a report that information was published on Remigijus Žemaitaitis’ Facebook account, potentially inciting hatred. Because of this officers started a pre-trial investigation," Julija Samorokovskaja, a representative of Vilnius County Police Headquarters, told LRT radio Monday.
The investigation was launched based on Article 170 of the Criminal Code regarding incitement of hatred on national, racial, ethical, religious or other grounds.
A representative of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Elena Martinonienė, confirmed the information about the investigation to the news agency ELTA.
On Sunday, Žemaitaitis published a post on Facebook in which he expressed his discontent that on the day of swearing in of new MPs a protest would be held near the parliament building against the Nemunas Dawn party joining the ruling coalition. He accused the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) over the protest and called the party "Lithuania’s Hamas".
The Prosecutor General’s Office tasked Vilnius County Police Headquarters to consider whether to launch an investigation over the statements, which might be violating the law.
However, on Monday, leader of the Nemunas Dawn denied that he urged people to attend a protest near the home of Vytautas Landsbergis, former chairman of the TS-LKD.
"Take as big candles and as many because every candle will be a reminder to the professor [Vytautas Landsbergis] about the crimes committed by his criminal gang against Lithuania," Žemaitaitis wrote about the former leader of the TS-LKD.