Lithuanian MP avoids prosecution

Lithuania’s parliament has defended one of its own. Lithuania’s self-appointed family values defender and leading homophobe Petras Gražulis will not have to face legal charges for attempting to disrupt the Baltic Pride rally in July, 2013.  A resolution introduced in the Seimas to strip Gražulis of his parliamentary immunity failed to receive the necessary 71 votes.

A  committee of parliamentary members established to review Gražulis’ actions at the Pride rally had narrowly voted in favor of recommending the lifting of parliamentary immunity to permit legal proceedings to proceed. According to charges filed by the Prosecutor General, who requested the lifting of immunity, Gražulis failed to head police instructions not to approach Pride participants and, when denied access, forced his way through police lines.

Before Tuesday’s vote, Gražulis said: “I’m happy with the position I took, and I hold to it. I took a principled stance to defend the values enshrined in our Constitution, and I won’t act any differently in the future.”

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