Lithuanian conservative MP seeks security probe into Muslim organisation

Dalia Asanavičiūtė-Gružauskienė, a member of Lithuania's conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD), has asked the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defence to review the activities of the Council of Muslim Religious Communities of Lithuania, known as the second muftiate.

She claims the organisation has ties to foreign foundations and is gradually taking over mosque management from Lithuania's historic Tatar community, which she says is fuelling internal division and threatening the preservation of Tatar heritage.

According to the lawmaker, the Justice Ministry's 2019 approval of the organisation's establishment split Lithuania's Muslim community. She alleges the second muftiate is aggressively taking control of houses of worship, leaving longtime Tatar worshippers feeling pushed out while immigrants take their place.

Asanavičiūtė-Gružauskienė also raised concerns about the organisation's foreign partners, saying some have faced international allegations since 1996 of financing terrorism or promoting radicalisation. She referenced the State Security Department's (VSD) 2025 national threat assessment, which noted that terrorist organisations are expanding Islamist propaganda influence across Europe and targeting people vulnerable to radicalisation — though the report did not specifically address Lithuania's situation.

Should the parliamentary committee determine that the organisation's activities conflict with national security interests, the lawmaker plans to formally request the Justice Ministry deregister it.