The verdict was reached by narrow majority – with four votes in support and three against.

"The panel of judges upholds the finding of the appellate on Ulbinatė's vindication, which is based on the fact that the information contained in the letter of the State Security Department that Ulbinaitė was charged with leaking did not meet the criteria of a state secret specified in the Law of State and Official Secrets of the Republic of Lithuania," Judge Dalia Bajerciūtė said.

Three of the seven judges stated their separate opinion that the case should be returned for examination to a Vilnius court.

Ulbinaitė was charged with disclosing classified information to an editor of BNS Lithuania. The probe was opened after BNS published a story in October of 2013 about the department's warnings to the country's leaders about information attacks plotted by Russia.

Courts have found that telephone conversations of BNS staff had been unlawfully wiretapped in the framework of the investigation. Ulbinaitė pleaded not guilty.