Lithuania to seek extradition of Kandrotas-Celofanas from Belarus

Lithuania’s Ministry of Justice is preparing to request the extradition of Antanas Kandrotas-Celofanas, also known as Celofanas, from Belarus, following a European Arrest Warrant issued for financial crimes, LRT reports.

According to Eglė Mažuolė, advisor to the chairman of the Civil Cases Division of the Kaunas Regional Court, the warrant was issued on 29 June 2026. The court then approached the Ministry of Justice the following day to initiate extradition proceedings to ensure Kandrotas-Celofanas serves his sentence.

Božena Zaborovska-Zdanovič, communications advisor to Justice Minister Rita Tamašunienė, confirmed the ministry had received the court’s request. She stated that officials are now preparing the necessary documents and translations to formally submit the extradition request to Belarusian authorities.

Kandrotas-Celofanas was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison in June for financial crimes, a ruling that has since taken effect. However, he had already announced his departure to Belarus and has not been detained. He is currently participating in other court hearings remotely.

This week, the Vilnius District Court concluded another case against Kandrotas-Celofanas, involving charges of public order violation during a protest outside parliament in December 2025. Prosecutors have requested an additional seven months in prison on top of his existing sentence. A verdict in this case is expected in September.

Kandrotas-Celofanas also faces separate convictions, including a four-year sentence for his role in the 2021 riots near the Seimas, though this ruling is under appeal. In another case, he was found guilty of inciting hatred against former MP Tomas Vytautas Raskevičius based on sexual orientation and public order violation, receiving a one-year prison term, which is also under appeal.