Lithuanian court overturns 10-year entry ban for Russian rapper Morgenshtern

A Lithuanian administrative court has overturned a 10-year entry ban imposed on Russian rapper Ališer Morgenshtern by the Migration Department, state news agency BNS reported on Tuesday.

The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania (LVAT) ruled in favour of Morgenshtern’s appeal, annulling both the Migration Department’s decision and the earlier dismissal of his case by the Regional Administrative Court. The court also awarded the rapper nearly €34 in legal costs.

Judges found that the Migration Department had relied improperly on information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—rather than the State Security Department—as the primary basis for assessing a threat to national security. Since the State Security Department had not provided any conclusions in the case, the ruling was deemed to have been based on “data from an incompetent institution.”

The court further determined that the cited grounds—including Morgenshtern’s inclusion on foreign watchlists, public statements, and creative work—did not inherently prove a threat to Lithuania’s national security. It noted that the reasoning behind other countries’ decisions was unclear and could not be automatically applied to Lithuania’s context.

Criticising the lack of objectivity, the court stated that the Migration Department had considered only unfavourable information about Morgenshtern while ignoring evidence that could have countered it. The judges also questioned the proportionality of a 10-year ban, emphasising that such a severe measure required clear and sufficient justification.

Morgenshtern, who had previously expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, later condemned Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and criticised the war in his music. Russian authorities designated him a “foreign agent” in May 2022. His planned concert in Vilnius last autumn faced opposition from Mayor Valdas Benkunskas, who urged institutions to block his entry.