Lithuania to return asylum seeker from Kaliningrad region to Russia

The Lithuanian state border guard service detained a Russian citizen who arrived in the country from the Kaliningrad region on the Neman River. The man asked for political asylum, but they decided to send him back, writes the newspaper Lietuvos rytas.

The Russian at the age of about 60 years was detained in the area of the municipality of Pagegyai. “The detainee requested asylum, saying that he is being persecuted in Russia for his actions on social networks,” said Martinas Katelinas, head of the Lithuanian Interior Ministry.

Mr. Katelinas said that the Lithuanian authorities assess each case individually. "After consultations with special services, an unequivocal decision was made: the man will be returned to Russia," the minister said. He also stressed that attempts to enter Lithuania in this way are unacceptable.

According to Lithuanian law, illegal crossing of the state border is punishable. Violators can be sentenced to fines or imprisonment for up to two years.