Lithuania deported Chechen man to Russia, defying European court order

Lithuania deported Beslan Estemirov, a Chechen man who had lived in the country for over 20 years, to Russia, according to human rights activist Roza Dunayeva. The deportation allegedly occurred despite a European Court of Human Rights ban and without notifying his family and lawyer. Lithuania justified the move citing national security concerns.

Lithuania deported Beslan Estemirov, a man of Chechen origin, to Russia, where he faces at least a risk of torture, despite the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) having prohibited his extradition. The incident was revealed by human rights activist Roza Dunayeva, and independent Russian investigative publication The Insider confirmed Estemirov's identity, citing a source in the Lithuanian government.

A refugee who built a family in Lithuania

According to Dunayeva, Estemirov fled to Lithuania to escape the Chechen war and lived in the country for over two decades. He has a family and children in Lithuania who hold Lithuanian citizenship. The deportation took place without notifying his lawyer or family, Dunayeva told The Insider.

Lithuanian authorities justified the expulsion citing national security concerns, but did not specify what exactly this threat entailed.

Russia demanded extradition on terrorism charges

Russia sought Estemirov's extradition on charges of participation in an unlawful armed group. According to Russian investigators, he was part of an armed group from 2001 onwards and was involved in two bomb attacks targeting special police forces. According to the Russian Federal Financial Monitoring Service's register, charges against him were filed on terrorism grounds.

In Lithuania, Estemirov was convicted twice of crimes related to drug use. In 2014, he received a four-year prison sentence and was released on parole. In 2018, he was sentenced to nine years in prison. Lithuania decided in 2020 to hand him over to Russia before serve out his sentence.

ECtHR banned deportation back in 2021

In 2024, the outlet Delfi reported that Estemirov was still held in a Lithuanian prison, with approximately a year of his sentence remaining. At the same time, a decision from the ECtHR was pending on whether he could be deported to Russia, taking into account the risk of torture. According to Dunayeva, however, the European court had already issued a ruling in 2021 prohibiting his extradition to Russia.

What happened to Estemirov after 2024 is not precisely known. In April, the outlet Kavkaz.Realii reported that he was detained when he went to the interior ministry to renew his residence permit. Dunayeva said at the time that she had no information about the reasons for his detention.

The case raises serious questions about Lithuania's obligations within the international human rights protection framework and the effectiveness of oversight for the implementation of ECtHR rulings in member states.