The verdict exposed a covert recruitment network that targeted Lithuanian military and volunteer units, raising fresh security questions across the Baltic region.
In Lithuania, the Klaipėda District Court handed down a verdict to a couple, finding them guilty of spying for Belarus.
According to case materials, in May 2022 Mindaugas Janutis and his partner Tatiana Belyatska traveled to Minsk, where they were recruited by Belarusian security services through intermediaries.
«They were recruited to provide information about the Lithuanian Army, the volunteer forces system, and the Riflemen’s Union. One of the defendants even became a member of the Riflemen’s Union to assess its structure, training, and infrastructure. Their task was to monitor the Lithuanian Army, NATO troops, and to gather information about Belarusian opposition figures»
– Arturas Urbialis
After the verdict: sentences and the prospects for appeal
The court sentenced Mindaugas Janutis to seven years in prison, and Tatiana Belyatska to six and a half years. The verdict can be appealed.
The hearings in the case were held behind closed doors. Both defendants are in custody.
Other espionage cases in the region
It was also reported previously that a year ago the Šiauliai District Court of Lithuania found a former member of the Homeland Union – Christian Democrats of Lithuania, Eduardas Manovas (Manovas), guilty of spying for Russia and sentenced him to eight and a half years in prison.