Lithuania to implement ECHR ruling on secret CIA prison

Lithuania will comply with a European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling concerning a secret CIA detention facility on its territory, the Ministry of Justice announced. This marks the third time the country has faced a ruling from the Strasbourg-based court over the clandestine prison.

The ECHR found that Saudi national Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, suspected of terrorism with the "Al-Qaeda" group, was unlawfully detained in Lithuania between 2005 and 2006. A seven-judge panel awarded him 30,000 euros in compensation. The court also mandated that the Lithuanian government seek assurances from the United States that al-Nashiri will not face the death penalty.

Božena Zaborovska-Zdanovič, an advisor to the Minister of Justice, stated that the ECHR's decision will be executed. She noted that Lithuania managed to reduce the compensation amount by three times compared to similar obligations imposed on Poland and Romania. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has previously sent diplomatic notes to the U.S. regarding the ECHR's ruling and Lithuania's obligations, though the content of this correspondence remains confidential.

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Yes, the ECHR decision will be implemented. This is the third recurring case against Lithuania; in this process, we managed to reduce the amount of compensation awarded by 3 times. Similar obligations were also imposed on Poland and Romania.

President Gitanas Nausėda's chief advisor, Asta Skaisgirytė, affirmed that Lithuania would follow the court's decision. However, the president's office expressed doubt about the necessity of further investigations into whether the secret CIA prison actually operated in Lithuania, suggesting such inquiries would not bring more clarity.

This is the third case brought against Lithuania before the ECHR concerning the CIA prison. Previous rulings in 2018 and 2024 involved other detainees, Abu Zubaydah and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, with the latter being awarded 100,000 euros in compensation for unlawful detention.

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To our knowledge, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent diplomatic notes to the U.S. several times, drawing partners' attention to the ECHR decision and the obligation imposed on Lithuania. The content of the diplomatic correspondence is confidential.