Lithuanian MEP Viktor Uspaskich sues European Parliament for revoking his legal immunity

Lithuania had already been involved in Uspakich's case against the European Parliament after it canceled the Lithuanian MEP's legal immunity in September 2010.

Uspaskich turned to the General Court for the second time after the Parliament rejected his request to restore his legal immunity in late 2011.

"Previously, Mr. Uspakiskich withdrew his case, but now he is initiating a new case. I don’t know whether it's his defense tactics or some other things. In this case it’s important that Lithuania provides proper explanations about actions of Lithuanian institutions," Minister of Justice Remigijus Šimašius told journalists on Wednesday.

The minister also said he believed that Uspaskich's explanations to the court "distort reality."

"In fact Mr. Uspakich is litigating with the European Parliament, saying that the European Parliament violated his rights as MEP when it refused to reopen the case, as he believes that some special facts have been identified in Lithuania, showing that there's a conspiracy against him, and the whole case is fabricated. Lithuania can only get involved in this case on the side of the European Parliament and provide explanations to the General Court on how the case was launched, its progress and what is the position of law enforcement institutions," Šimašius told journalists following a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

The European Parliament revoked Uspaskich's legal immunity following Lithuanian prosecutors' request. In the so-called "Labor Party black bookkeeping" case, Uspaskich is listed as a participant of an organized criminal group. The prosecutor said Uspaskich organized unlawful bookkeeping in 2004-2006 in an effort to secure unlawful financing and avoid financial control. The Labor Party's financial documentation for the 2004-2006 period failed to include about LTL 25 million (EUR 7.3 million) in income and about LTL 23 million in spending related with property, commitments and structural changes, and also failed to pay taxes of around LTL 4 million.

Uspaskich is facing up to four years in prison.