because of residence abroad.353 Citizenship can only be lost in accordance with the Law on Citizenship.354 The citizenship of a child who acquired Lithuanian nationality at birth does not change if the citizenship of his or her parents changes.355 A person may be deprived of citizenship where he or she is in the service of another State without the authorization of the Lithuanian Government.356 “Service of another State” means the service where a position of a State politician or official or any other position related to the implementation of functions of justice or public administration is held in institutions of any other State, when these positions require holding citizenship of that State and/or taking an oath of allegiance to that State. The service of another State shall include military service and any other statutory service. The service of another State shall not include a position of a politician in local self-government bodies to which a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania may be elected under European Union law.357 A Lithuanian citizen can further be deprived of citizenship if the citizenship was acquired through fraud or misrepresentation, when any of the exclusion clauses are discovered (this clause only applies to nonautomatic modes of acquisition, that is when the citizenship was “granted, reinstated or restored”) and when a decision on citizenship of Lithuania in respect of the person concerned has been taken in breach of the laws of the country.358 The Law on Citizenship does not stipulate a time limit beyond which a revocation of citizenship is no longer allowed. Nor are there provisions to take into account the gravity of misrepresentation or fraud or the individual’s links with the country. Deprivation of nationality on these grounds can result in statelessness. National legislation provides for safeguards against statelessness for children whose parent or parents have lost Lithuanian citizenship. Those children who had acquired Lithuanian nationality at birth maintain their citizenship under any circumstances.359 If both parents lose Lithuanian citizenship which had been acquired by naturalization, the child also loses it if it had not acquired it at birth, unless the child would be rendered stateless.360 If one of the parents loses Lithuanian citizenship which had been acquired by naturalization and the other parent maintains Lithuanian citizenship, the child does not lose Lithuanian citizenship.361 If one of the parents loses Lithuanian citizenship which had been acquired by naturalization and the other parent is unknown or a citizen of another State, the child loses Lithuanian citizenship if the child had not acquired citizenship at birth, unless the child would be rendered stateless. A child from 14 to 18 years of age can only lose Lithuanian citizenship if he or she agrees, unless the child would be rendered stateless.362 In any case, if a child’s parents lose Lithuanian citizenship, the child would retain Lithuanian citizenship if the child would otherwise be stateless.363 353 Ibid Article 3(5). 354 Ibid Article 3(8). 355 Ibid Article 3(9). 356 Ibid, Article 24(4). 357 Ibid Article 2(5). 358 Ibid, Article 24. The last option stems from a case in 2003, where the President of the Republic granted nationality by way of exception to a citizen of the Russian Federation who, in order to acquire it, had earlier renounced his Lithuanian citizenship. His previously held Lithuanian citizenship had been acquired unlawfully, as the person was barred from opting for Lithuanian citizenship under one of the exclusion clauses. Furthermore, the Lithuanian Parliament found the President had granted the individual nationality because of a significant financial contribution to his electoral campaign. The person concerned was deprived of Lithuanian citizenship and the President was removed from Office by way of impeachment. Kūris, E. “Country Report: Lithuania”, EUDO Citizenship Observatory Country Reports (2010), p. 27. 359 Article 28.1 of the Law on Citizenship. 360 Ibid, Article 28.2. 361 Ibid, Article 28.3. 362 Ibid, Article 28.4. 363 Ibid, Article 28. U N H C R S TO C K H O L M , M AY 2 0 1 6 79