Nausėda Denies CIA Prison in Lithuania; No New Investigation Planned

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda on Tuesday expressed confidence in the assessment of Lithuanian institutions that no CIA secret prison for terrorism suspects existed in the country. He stated that he sees no need for a new investigation and doubts it would change the outcome.

Last week, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Saudi national Abdalrahim al-Nashiri was illegally held in a CIA prison in Lithuania in 2005–2006. The court ordered Lithuania to pay €30,000 in compensation and to seek assurances from the United States that al-Nashiri will not face the death penalty.

Nausėda said the rulings must be implemented but require further consultations regarding the part about approaching the U.S., cautioning that this could be interpreted as interference in another country's internal affairs. Implementation depends on the broader context.

Lithuanian officials have maintained that the ECHR relied on human rights organizations rather than official data. Lithuania has never acknowledged a secret CIA prison, claiming that the U.S. transported communications equipment, not prisoners, and that the building in Antaviliai was an intelligence support center never used for detention.

The ECHR previously ruled in 2018 that Lithuania hosted a secret CIA prison in the case of Abu Zubaidah, awarding €130,000 in compensation. In 2024, a similar ruling awarded €100,000 to Mustafa al-Hawsawi.