Lithuanian Prosecutors Fail to Obtain Key Information from US on Alleged CIA Prison

The Lithuanian Prosecutor General's Office stated Wednesday that the investigation into a possible secret CIA prison in the country continues, but prosecutors have been unable to obtain substantial information from the United States and other partners. Spokeswoman Elena Martinoniene said no one has been charged.

The pre-trial investigation, reclassified in 2018, is now conducted under an article prohibiting treatment contrary to international law. Lithuania has sent international legal assistance requests to the US, Poland, Romania, and other countries, but the US Department of Justice responded that it cannot obtain the requested information or fulfill the request. Some materials are classified as state or official secrets.

The announcement followed an interview with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, who expressed trust in the assessment of Lithuanian institutions that no CIA prison existed in the country. Nausėda sees no need to revisit the issue.

The investigation began in 2010 and was reopened in 2015 after a US Senate report. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has repeatedly ruled that a secret CIA prison likely operated in Lithuania and awarded compensation to former detainees. Last week, the ECHR found that Saudi national Abdalrahim Hussein al Nashiri was illegally held in a CIA prison in Lithuania in 2005-2006, ordering Lithuania to pay €30,000 and seek assurances from the US that he will not be executed.

Lithuania has not acknowledged the prison's existence, claiming that communication equipment, not detainees, was transported to the country. A building in Antaviliai, 15 km from Vilnius, is mentioned as a possible location, but Lithuania says it was an intelligence support center never used for detention. However, the ECHR previously ruled in the case of Abu Zubaidah (2018, €130,000 compensation) and Mustafa al Hawsawi (2024, €100,000). Lithuanian officials argue that the court relies on NGO opinions rather than official data.