Algirdas Paleckis

Algirdas Paleckis (born 20 May 1971) is a Lithuanian diplomat, politician, columnist, leader of the political movement The Dawn of Justice. Šiauliai district court convicted Paleckis for spying for Russia in July 2021. The conviction was upheld by the Lithuanian Court of Appeal in May 2022.

Biography
Algirdas Paleckis was born on 20 May 1971, in Bern, Switzerland, the son of Soviet diplomat Justas Vincas Paleckis. His grandfather was Justas Paleckis, a journalist and a foreign correspondent in 1930s who later became a communist and the speaker of the Supreme Soviet of Lithuanian SSR following the Soviet occupation.

In 1994, Paleckis graduated from Vilnius University with a master's degree in journalism and international relations.

Career
From 1997 to 2001, Paleckis was the 1st secretary at Lithuania's Permanent Mission to the EU in Brussels, becoming head of the West European Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania in 2001, a post in which he remained until 2003. From 15 November 2004, to 17 April 2007, he was a member of the Lithuanian Parliament. Later, Paleckis was an assemblyman of the Council of Europe from 24 January 2005 to 5 May 2007 and worked as a Vice-Mayor of Vilnius from 2007 to 2008. In 2008 he founded the Front Party and was its leader until November 2014.

According to investigation by the State Security Department of Lithuania, Paleckis was supported by the business group MG Baltic, led by Darius Mockus, throughout his political career and maintained ties with the group even after the establishment of the Front Party.

He is fluent in Lithuanian, English, French, Russian and German.

Denial of Soviet aggression against Lithuania
In 2011, Lithuanian authorities prosecuted Paleckis for his denial of Soviet aggression against Lithuania. As part of his journalistic research, Paleckis claimed he had found several witnesses and ballistic assessments that seemed to indicate that there were Lithuanian government snipers on the roof near the Vilnius TV centre who were shooting civilians with hunting rifles during the January Events. He stated that "it appears that in January 1991 our own people were shooting at their natives". He also alleged that these snipers were placed there by the Lithuanian government of the time to generate nationalist sympathy. A Vilnius court vindicated Paleckis in January 2012, but the prosecution appealed and Paleckis was sentenced to a fine of 10,400 litas (€3,100) on 12 June 2012.

His father Justas Vincas Paleckis said he is "shocked" by his son's statements and that lately they're finding less and less common ground.

As of early 2024 he is being tried again for public approval of international crimes, after he gave a phone interview claiming that the Russian invasion of Ukraine happened because of the "U.S. desire to squeeze it like a lemon". The prosecutor also states there is enough data to state that Paleckis was defaming the post-war period of Lithuanian partisan armed resistance against the USSR.

Spying for Russia
He was arrested again in 2018 on suspicion of spying for Russia. The Lithuanian authorities argued against granting bail on the grounds that Paleckis had lived in Moscow, had connections there and could flee from the country. Paleckis was released on supervision in April 2020. On 27 July 2021, Šiauliai district court found Paleckis guilty and sentenced him to six years in prison. The conviction was upheld by the Lithuanian Court of Appeal on 6 May 2022. The Supreme Court of Lithuania confirmed his sentence, although shortening it to 5 years and 6 months in prison.

Political views
Paleckis is no longer affiliated with any political party. He was last a member of the Socialist People's Front, a democratic socialist political party. It was formed from a merger of the Lithuanian Socialist Party and his Front Party. He left the party in 2016, citing differences with party leadership.

Paleckis is critical of Lithuanian capitalism, writing in 2018, "they promised us Sweden, but the banana republic came out. I will add: only instead of dictators - clowns."

Russia
On 15 March 2005, Paleckis worried that democracy was failing in Russia, stating, "Russia during this period lost its way a little because of the track and was a little tempted by authoritarian rule. They must be returned before it is too late."

Awards and honors

 * 🇱🇹 Lithuania:
 * LTU_Order_for_Merits_to_Lithuania_-_Knight's_Cross_BAR.svg Knight of the Order for Merits to Lithuania (2004) (deprived on 2013)


 * 🇫🇷 France:
 * Legion_Honneur_Chevalier_ribbon.svg Knight of the Legion of Honour (2002)