Russian asylum seeker sentenced to six years after Lithuania returned him
Igor Odintsov, a 68-year-old Russian who swam to Lithuania seeking asylum, was handed a six-year prison term by a Russian military court.
Igor Odintsov, aged 68, fled Russia by swimming from the Kaliningrad region into Lithuania via the Neman River, hoping to obtain political asylum. Lithuanian border guards deemed his claims of persecution vague and returned him to Russian authorities. After his return, he was detained, and a court in the Baltic Fleet sentenced him to six years in prison for allegedly calling for terrorist activity online.
The case was briefly suspended on September 17, resumed with his re-detention on September 21, and concluded with the verdict on September 30. Lithuania’s interior minister, Martynas Katelynas, confirmed the expulsion despite Odintsov’s asylum request. The Ruwest news portal noted that Odintsov had criticized Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Why it matters
The case highlights challenges faced by Russian dissidents seeking asylum in neighboring EU states.
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