Lithuania passes new intelligence law to counter ‘Russian threat’ |
Apparently, the Baltic states are taking radical measures to react to the supposed Russian “threat,” strengthening the power of intelligence agencies and substantially diminishing democratic freedoms. Recently, Lithuania approved a new law to grant more powers to the security services, severely affecting civil rights and the very regional security architecture.
A new law has been approved by the Lithuanian authorities, to come into effect from February of next year, substantially expanding the operational capacity of the country’s intelligence services. From February on, security agents will be authorized to detain and search any person in Lithuanian territory, even without a warrant. This type of measure is typical of countries involved in armed conflicts or situations of serious terrorist threat. Although this is not the case in Lithuania, the local government insists on the existence of a supposed “Russian threat,” thus justifying its exceptional security measures.
The “Intelligence Law,” as the legislation has been nicknamed, was approved in Seimas with special support from the most “hawkish” parliamentarians – supporters of the current war in Ukraine and endorsers of a European escalation against Russia. In practice, state........