Lithuanian Parliament Expands Polygraph Testing Scope

Lithuania's parliament, the Seimas, has approved amendments to broaden the scope of polygraph testing, now including foreigners deemed a threat to national security and representatives of suppliers. This expansion aims to bolster national security by allowing more thorough vetting processes.

The updated legislation permits polygraph examinations for suppliers of both legal and physical entities who possess or are seeking authorization to work with classified information, or who hold a supplier reliability certificate. These individuals will undergo the same scrutiny as soldiers, officers, and civil servants. Furthermore, the State Security Department (VSD) gains the authority to polygraph foreign citizens when assessing their potential threat to national security, with provisions for repeat examinations upon the foreigner's request.

Intelligence agencies will also be able to polygraph individuals applying to become secret collaborators, assessing their reliability and loyalty. The law clarifies that polygraph use will extend beyond merely verifying facts, serving as a tool to examine all circumstances outlined in the State and Service Secrets Law that might affect an individual's reliability or loyalty to Lithuania. The decision-making process for issuing or revoking permits will consider all available information, while foreigners refusing the test will be automatically deemed a national security risk.