On 9 July 2024, some Lithuanian news portals published articles quoting Mr. A. Kundrotas’ statements to the Vilnius City District Court during the proceedings related to the 2021 riots near the Seimas.
The articles reported that during the trial, Mr. Antanas Kandrotas “spoke about his belonging to the Order of Malta” and even claimed: “I am a knight and I have been given this status.” He also mentioned that he had received the document “in accordance with the rules laid down by the organisation .”
The Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Lithuania officially declares once again that
Mr. Antanas Kandrotas is not and has never been a member of the Sovereign Order of Malta. No document has been issued to him by the Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Lithuania or in any other country confirming his membership in the Sovereign Order of Malta or providing diplomatic plate numbers for his car. The Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Lithuania distances itself from Mr. Kandrotas’ statements and activities.
It is known that some organizations or groups operating in various countries sometimes use names similar to the Order of Malta and the Order of Malta’s symbol, the octagonal white cross.
Such groups often claim to have a long history of knighthood, and their names include words such as HOSPITALLERS, St. JOHN, JERUSALEM, MALTA, etc. They call their members “Knights of Malta” and claim to be “ecumenical.”
The Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Lithuania officially states that none of these organizations or groups has any affiliation with the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta.