MP's ankle tag forces him out of parliament sessions, police respond

Lithuanian Member of Parliament Saulius Skvernelis has voiced frustration over his electronic monitoring ankle tag, stating it prevents him from fulfilling his duties in the Seimas (parliament). Skvernelis explained that the device's signals require him to leave parliamentary sessions, which he described as an ongoing issue.

"I cannot perform my duties as a Member of Parliament because it requires me to go outside," Skvernelis told journalists. He noted that this is not the first instance of the ankle tag's signals disrupting his work, recalling a similar interruption during a vote last week. "And it's the second time already. Last Tuesday, it stopped my voting, I had to go outside," he said, questioning the proportionality of the imposed measure.

Ramūnas Matonis, head of the Police Department's Communication Division, responded to Skvernelis's complaints. Matonis stated that assessing whether the electronic monitoring device hinders a specific Member of Parliament's duties falls outside his area of expertise. However, he acknowledged that such a measure "obviously causes some inconvenience."

Matonis explained that the ankle tag operates using a GPS signal. He noted that in certain situations, such as when a person is indoors with thick walls, the device might lose its satellite connection and emit an audible signal. "In such cases, one needs to go to a more open area or outside, the device picks up the signal, and stops beeping," he clarified.

Matonis also mentioned that individuals under intensive surveillance have a pre-determined schedule outlining permitted and prohibited locations, as well as distance limits from designated areas. The police are notified if an individual removes the ankle tag or violates the established conditions, such as exceeding the allowed distance from an agreed-upon location.