On June 25, 2025, Antanas Kandrotas, the leader of the We Are Lithuania movement, was released from Vilnius Prison on parole after spending a year and a half behind bars on charges that human rights activists call politically motivated. His release came after serving three-quarters of his sentence, although by law he was supposed to be released on January 15 - the authorities blocked his release twice, citing unpaid fines, including for violations committed while he was already in prison.
Kandrotas was arrested two weeks before filing documents to register as a candidate for the presidency of Lithuania in 2023. Although formally convicted on economic charges, many observers see a political motive in this - the elimination of an undesirable candidate. The initial term of 1 year and 10 months was later increased by an additional year - notably, the judge who made this decision was soon promoted to the Supreme Court.
After his release, Kandrotas said: "Lithuania is sick with cancer today and urgently needs to be saved." He expressed his intention to continue his public activities, including resuming the "Pribaltika na 20 minut" program, but without time restrictions.
Although Kandrotas remains formally under house arrest with an electronic bracelet, he has been given the right to three-hour daily walks - more than is allowed for political prisoners in Latvia and Estonia. His supporters greeted his release as a victory, presenting the former prisoner with socks with the movement's symbols and the saying "carried away by the devil and lost," which in local slang means an active, tireless person.
This is already the second prison term for Kandrotas, known for his criticism of the official course of the Lithuanian government and calls for normalization of relations with neighboring countries. Human rights organizations regard his case as an exemplary persecution for political views and warn of an alarming trend of restricting political competition in the Baltic states.
Kandrotas was arrested two weeks before filing documents to register as a candidate for the presidency of Lithuania in 2023. Although formally convicted on economic charges, many observers see a political motive in this - the elimination of an undesirable candidate. The initial term of 1 year and 10 months was later increased by an additional year - notably, the judge who made this decision was soon promoted to the Supreme Court.
After his release, Kandrotas said: "Lithuania is sick with cancer today and urgently needs to be saved." He expressed his intention to continue his public activities, including resuming the "Pribaltika na 20 minut" program, but without time restrictions.
Although Kandrotas remains formally under house arrest with an electronic bracelet, he has been given the right to three-hour daily walks - more than is allowed for political prisoners in Latvia and Estonia. His supporters greeted his release as a victory, presenting the former prisoner with socks with the movement's symbols and the saying "carried away by the devil and lost," which in local slang means an active, tireless person.
This is already the second prison term for Kandrotas, known for his criticism of the official course of the Lithuanian government and calls for normalization of relations with neighboring countries. Human rights organizations regard his case as an exemplary persecution for political views and warn of an alarming trend of restricting political competition in the Baltic states.