Lithuanian president denies existence of CIA prison in the country

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has affirmed his trust in the nation's institutions, asserting that no secret Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) prison for terrorism suspects ever existed within Lithuania. He stated that he sees no necessity for a new investigation into the allegations, suggesting that previous inquiries have already concluded the absence of such a facility.

"Honestly, I don't know how further investigations could add to this story, which has already been evaluated in investigations that concluded that such a prison did not exist. I highly doubt that new investigations could change anything," Nausėda told BNS news agency.

His comments come after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled last week that a Saudi Arabian citizen, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, suspected of involvement with Al-Qaeda, was unlawfully detained in a secret CIA prison in Lithuania between 2005 and 2006. The ECHR ordered Lithuania to pay al-Nashiri 30,000 euros in compensation and to request assurances from the U.S. that he will not face the death penalty.

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Honestly, I don't know how further investigations could add to this story, which has already been evaluated in investigations that concluded that such a prison did not exist. I highly doubt that new investigations could change anything.

This marks the third such ECHR ruling against Lithuania. While Nausėda acknowledged that court judgments must be executed, he indicated that "further consultations" are needed regarding the part of the ruling that requires addressing the U.S. He explained that the execution depends on the "general context" and involves evaluating "legal and political aspects," particularly concerning potential interference in another country's internal affairs.

Despite the ECHR's decisions, Lithuanian officials maintain that the court relies on human rights organizations' opinions rather than official data. Lithuania has consistently denied the existence of a secret CIA prison, claiming that U.S. activities involved communication equipment, not detainees. The facility in Antaviliai, near Vilnius, identified as a potential prison site, was reportedly an intelligence support center that was never utilized for that purpose. However, the ECHR has previously ruled in similar cases, including one in 2018 concerning Abu Zubaydah, confirming the existence of a secret CIA detention center in Lithuania.

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We have to evaluate the aspect related to addressing another country with certain recommendations, which could be interpreted as interference in the internal affairs of another country. There are various aspects here, and we would not want to make unprofessional decisions. We must make them by evaluating the entire range of issues, including legal and political aspects.