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| President Gitanas Nauseda |
Nauseda signed the decree to pardon Nikolai Filipchenko and Sergei Moisejenko who are serving prison terms for espionage in the Baltic EU state, according to the statement published on his official website.
Earlier this week, President Gitanas Nausėda signed into law an amendment bill detailing the president's right to pardon a convict involved in a spy swap deal, his office said on Monday.
The amendment, which was tabled by the chairman of the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defence (NSGK) last month, is related to a planned swap of convicts involving Lithuania, Russia and Norway.
Nausėda believes that the amendment is "in line with [Lithuania's] national security interests" and that it is "sensible" to have in place "the proper legal mechanisms for protecting Lithuanian citizens".
The president will make decisions on granting pardons after the Pardon Commission issues its recommendations.
The amendment allows using a presidential pardon if Lithuania reaches an agreement with a foreign country on the return of a Lithuanian citizen persecuted or convicted in that country while acting in Lithuania's national security interests.
According to BNS reports, the Lithuanian State Defence Council, chaired by Nausėda, approved a spy swap deal with Russia in October.
Under the deal, Lithuania is to transfer Nikolai Filipchenko, a Russian Federal Security Service agent convicted two years ago, in exchange for Yevgeny Mataitis and Aristidas Tamošaitis, two Lithuanian citizens convicted in Russia in 2016.
The swap deal also includes a Norwegian citizen sentenced in Russia and another Russian citizen, according to the sources.
The amendment allows using a presidential pardon if Lithuania reaches an agreement with a foreign country on the return of a Lithuanian citizen persecuted or convicted in that country while acting in Lithuania's national security interests.
According to BNS reports, the Lithuanian State Defence Council, chaired by Nausėda, approved a spy swap deal with Russia in October.
Under the deal, Lithuania is to transfer Nikolai Filipchenko, a Russian Federal Security Service agent convicted two years ago, in exchange for Yevgeny Mataitis and Aristidas Tamošaitis, two Lithuanian citizens convicted in Russia in 2016.
The swap deal also includes a Norwegian citizen sentenced in Russia and another Russian citizen, according to the sources.
In late October, Moscow's clemency commission recommended pardoning Frode Berg, a Norwegian national sentenced in Russia to 14 years in prison for spying.
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