Attorney Shot Dead During Eviction From an Apartment in Lithuania

Lithuanian attorney Leonid Pšelincev was killed in a shooting in the center of Vilnius on Thursday, October 10. The death of the attorney was confirmed by the press secretary of the Lithuanian Bar Council, Eva Paliuniene.

"We express our condolences to the family, colleagues, and all who knew the attorney. This is devastating news for the entire legal community," said I. Paliuniene.

"To my knowledge, the eviction was being carried out based on a court order. A bailiff and an attorney were involved in the procedure, but the individual refused to comply with the court’s decision. When the police arrived, the individual opened fire," said Mindaugas Kukaitis, a representative of the Bar Council. "Such hatred is shocking; people do not understand what a court decision means and that it must be followed. This is the first case in Lithuania where an attorney has been killed while carrying out their duties. It demonstrates a lack of respect for the legal system of the state. Such actions against an attorney are unacceptable, and society must condemn this."

As a result of the incident, two police officers were also injured.