Category:
Reports
Lithuania Weekly: alleged embezzling of millions of euros
During this reporting week, Lithuania focused on one of the most significant financial crimes in recent history: the detainment of former BaltCap equity fund manager Šarūnas Stepukonis, suspected of misappropriating €27 million. In response to the scandal, BaltCap is withdrawing from several high-profile commitments. Notably, the investment fund has handed over the construction of the national stadium to another developer, causing delays and majorly increased costs. Pro-Kremlin outlets covered the Šarūnas Stepukonis case extensively, claiming he was not working alone and naming specific officials who “stood behind all of that”. Kremlin-aligned media outlets again used this domestic scandal to promote an anti-government narrative, accusing the current government of having direct ties with Stepukonis and jointly benefitting from the embezzlement.
Read more
Latvia Weekly: Good Orban and Bad EU
During the examined week, the content primarily surrounded topics relating to China inspired by the visit of a political party from the opposition and corruption. As examined in the prior weeks, there is rarely a focus on international affairs. Nevertheless, during the examined week, a credible Latvian news portal posted an article on the preliminary measures issued by the International Court of Justice in South Africa v Israel. The article was highly discussed on the X platform as it let out significant information from the ruling to portray to be more favourable to Israel. It even included statements made by Israeli officials as well as highlighted the wrongdoings of Hamas but not of Israel.
Read more
Estonia Weekly: Tucker Carlson, Biden and Putin
This week there were many more posts about the Estonian economy and the government being the one causing it because of the way they spend. This week the poverty was blamed on the many officials in the Estonian government. There were several posts about Tucker Carlson's interview with Putin, one in which the poster wondered how an interview with President Biden would have gone, claiming that he would not even be able to understand the questions, much less answer them. There was also a post listing the countries that owe their existence to Russia, which did not follow historical fact, and the poster stated that half of the world owes their existence to Russia and if the Russian government had ideas that were more similar to the west that many countries would join a Russian society of nations.
Read more
Lithuania Weekly: Farmers’ protest takes over in Vilnius
Lithuanian Radio and Television worked with other supporters of Ukraine to launch a second iteration of last year’s successful pro-Ukrainian RADAROM! simultaneously, posts by Kremlin-aligned actors criticising this campaign emerged online, actively diminishing support for Ukraine. Moreover, during this reporting period, a large protest by farmers occurred in the Vilnius city centre. They brought their demands to Vilnius, lining the city’s main boulevard with around 1,300 pieces of heavy agricultural machinery. Kremlin-aligned media emphasised the ignorance and incompetence of the ruling officials. Once again, a large-scale event in Lithuania has become fertile soil for Kremlin-aligned actors to spread anti-government narratives.
Read moreShowing 257 to 260 of 319 results
Don't miss a story.
We publish stories that change laws, lives, minds and the world. Subscribe to our newsletter to get our investigations delivered to your inbox.