Kyrgyz national in Lithuania charged with financing Hamas military wing

A Kyrgyz citizen holding a temporary residence permit in Lithuania has been charged with financing and supporting terrorist activity, the State Security Department (VSD) announced on Tuesday.

The 48-year-old man, who adheres to radical Islamic ideology, allegedly conducted multiple financial transactions in summer 2025 from his personal cryptocurrency wallet to support the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, according to investigators. He was detained at Vilnius Airport in March upon arrival from Istanbul.

The case was investigated by Lithuania’s Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) in cooperation with the VSD. Prosecutors from the Organized Crime and Corruption Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office have charged the suspect under Article 250-4 of the Criminal Code, which criminalises the financing and support of terrorist activities. The suspect has admitted guilt, the VSD stated.

A Vilnius court has remanded the man in custody for three months—the strictest pre-trial measure—following a prosecutor’s request. Under Lithuanian law, providing financial or material support to terrorist organisations or individuals engaged in terrorist activities carries a penalty of three to ten years in prison.