Lithuania pledged to hold Antonov in Vilnius prison but he is in Šiauliai

Lithuania had committed to France to detain Vladimiras Antonovas, the former shareholder and head of the collapsed Snoras bank, in a prison in Vilnius, but he was instead placed in a prison in Šiauliai, his lawyer Aivaras Alimas told ELTA.

“For Antonovas to be extradited, the Lithuanian state had pledged to hold him in a prison in Vilnius: this was clearly stated in the documents submitted to the French court. After bringing him [from France], it seems the decision changed, I don’t know why. I also don’t know why the Vilnius prison was specified—perhaps the conditions are better there. Sometimes foreign states do not extradite convicts if the requesting state’s prisons are in poor condition,” the defence lawyer told ELTA.

ELTA recalls that in 2013, Ireland refused to extradite its citizen Liam Campbell to Lithuania due to concerns over inhumane and degrading conditions in Lithuanian prisons. Campbell was wanted by Lithuania on suspicion of involvement in an operation to acquire weapons and bombs for the Real Irish Republican Army (IRA).

This week, Lithuania’s Court of Appeals, reviewing the criminal case of Snoras, granted Antonovas’ request to begin serving his 10-year and six-month prison sentence before the court’s ruling takes effect. The ruling will enter into force once the Court of Appeals issues its final decision.

The court’s decision is effective immediately and cannot be appealed. Normally, if an appeal is filed, the district court’s ruling is not enforced. However, the law provides an exception: if the convicted person submits a written request to begin serving the sentence before the appeal is considered, the ruling can be enforced.

The Court of Appeals saw no obstacles to granting Antonovas’ request, as he had submitted a written statement expressing his wish to start serving his sentence. The Criminal Code does not specify additional conditions or criteria under which a court could refuse such a request.

According to the lawyer, it is not yet known in which Lithuanian prison Antonovas will serve his sentence. “This is certainly not his decision, nor is it based on his wishes—it is decided by the Lithuanian Prison Service. Wherever they assign him, that’s where he will be, though under a different regime—he will be able to study, do other things,” Alimas said.

The Lithuanian Prison Service has established criteria for selecting the place of imprisonment. These include the level of danger posed by the convict, public safety, the severity and nature of the crime committed, the convict’s health, psychological characteristics, age, employability, and professional skills. If applicable, the interests of the convict’s minor children and the permanent residence of the convict or their close relatives are also considered, as well as the availability of space in penal institutions and other circumstances.

Prosecutor Darius Stankevičius had opposed granting Antonovas’ request, citing a risk of escape, as Antonovas had been a fugitive for 15 years. However, the Court of Appeals noted that prison authorities are obligated to ensure both the isolation of convicts from society and their safety, as well as preventing escapes.

“I believe the Lithuanian Prison Service does its job well and ensures that no convict escapes. Have there been many escapes recently? We haven’t heard of any in recent years. There are no indications that my client is considering or preparing to flee—absolutely none. In my opinion, the prosecutor’s fears are hypothetical,” Alimas said.