Gitanas Nauseda: Tihanovska's Office Needs To Assess Whether They Want To Stay In Lithuania Or Choose Another Place

The Lithuanian president commented on the reduction of Tihanovska's physical security.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda commented on the decision to lower the security level of ex-presidential candidate Svetlana Tihanovska and her office. He suggested that they "evaluate whether they want to stay in Lithuania or choose another place," Delfi reports.

Nauseda said that the level of Tikhanovskaya's security was lowered based on the conclusions of competent services. Therefore, he said, Lithuania's signals sent to the international community have not changed.

- Indeed, everything remains as it was and Ms. Tihanovska remains a guest of our state. We do provide asylum to people who are persecuted as oppositionists," the president said.

According to him, "nothing has changed with regard to Mrs. Tikhanovskaia":

-I think that the signals we send to the international community remain the same. And the task of Mrs. Tihanovska and her team is to assess whether they want to stay in Lithuania or choose another place. In any case, nothing changes from our side," Nauseda added.

He also responded to criticism expressed by former Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis about the Lithuanian authorities' decision to reduce Tihanovska's security detail, calling the former minister "the leader of the opposition in exile.

- Well, the fact that Mr. Landsbergis has been constantly voicing some suggestions, remarks or concerns lately - well, the leader of the opposition in exile can do that. Remembering that when he was in the ruling coalition and there was a critical situation, he was always disappearing somewhere, maybe not even in Lithuania, but on the islands, - I am a bit relieved that he has been appearing in the public space so often lately. It means that everything is fine in Lithuania and there is no critical situation," Nauseda said.

Reminder, since October 1, the Lithuanian government reduced the level of physical protection of Svetlana Tihanovska.

The protection of Tihanovska is not completely canceled, but the level of her physical protection is reduced and the protection is transferred from the Leadership Protection Service (Vadovybės apsaugos tarnyba) to the Criminal Police Bureau, which provides protection not as a public figure, but as a person who objectively may be threatened with a certain danger. For example, the Criminal Police Bureau provides protection for witnesses and victims.

According to sources of the Lithuanian edition of LRT, Tihanovska's protection and related expenses cost the state about 1 million euros a year. This amount included round-the-clock physical security in Lithuania and abroad, escort cars, maintenance of accommodation, and use of VIP terminals at airports.

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