Lithuania probes hate incitement after pig's head shown at Kaunas mosque

Kaunas County Police announced Monday that a pretrial criminal investigation has been opened into last Friday's incident at a mosque in Kaunas, following a review of video footage and reports received from the public.

A group of bikers had gathered in Kaunas' Ramybės Park while Muslims inside the mosque were praying. They played loud music, revved their motorcycle engines, chanted nationalist slogans, and displayed a pig's head they had brought to the scene.

Police had already opened a separate administrative case on September 11 over possible breaches of rules governing public assemblies, while also examining whether the incident amounted to incitement to hatred.

Odeta Vaitkevičienė, a spokeswoman for Kaunas County Police, said Monday that no one has yet been formally named a suspect in the criminal case. She said the identity of the person who held the pig's head, along with other participants, has been established, but the investigation is still ongoing. She did not rule out that victims could later be identified, adding that the prosecutor's office would provide further details on that front.

Police said officers deliberately chose not to intervene physically during the gathering, describing it as a tactical decision aimed at documenting the event while avoiding escalation, since there was no physical contact and no reports of injury or need for medical assistance.

Political reaction

The incident triggered criticism from Lithuanian political figures. Parliament speaker Juozas Olekas said freedom of expression must not be used as a pretext to humiliate others.

Mufti Aleksandras Beganskas said he wants to meet with government officials to discuss additional security measures for the Muslim community, including the possibility of fencing off the Kaunas mosque, and has called for new legislation to prevent incitement to hatred based on race, nationality or religion. He also requested an internal police review of officers' conduct during the incident, saying some Muslim women present felt unsafe.