Lithuania: Illegal tennis courts near Druskininkai airfield ordered demolished

Illegal tennis courts near the Druskininkai airfield are being demolished following a court order that mandated the removal of structures and the restoration of the land to its original state.

The Vilnius Regional Court ruled last year that the tennis courts, built on a state-owned land parcel near the airfield, must be dismantled. The Prosecutor's Office initiated the lawsuit to defend public interest, successfully challenging decisions made by the Druskininkai municipality. These decisions had allowed a private entity to construct the tennis courts on land designated for airfield administration buildings and related services.

Initially, the Druskininkai municipality requested the National Land Service to transfer a 1.2-hectare plot for the construction of an airfield administration building and other service facilities. However, the municipality subsequently leased this land, intended for airfield purposes, to a private entity for building tennis courts. The Prosecutor's Office argued that this use violated the original purpose for which the land was granted.

The appellate court sided with the prosecutor, emphasizing that public interest cannot be realized by violating mandatory legal provisions governing the use of state property. The court noted that the tennis courts are privately managed and their construction and operation did not align with the designated use of the land as specified by the National Land Service.