Russian man who swam from Kaliningrad to Lithuania in asylum attempt sentenced to six years hard labour
A 68-year-old Russian man who swam across the Nemunas River from Russia's Kaliningrad exclave into neighbouring Lithuania in an attempt to seek asylum has been sentenced to six years in a strict-regime penal colony in Russia for "publicly justifying terrorism."
A 68-year-old Russian man, Igor Yuryevich Odintsov, was sentenced to six years in hard labor by a Lithuanian court on September 30, according to Lithuanian media Lrytas. Odintsov swam across the Nemunas River from Kaliningrad to Lithuania in September, reportedly seeking asylum from persecution. The court convicted him of publicly justifying terrorism and expressing a negative attitude towards Russian state authorities.
Odintsov, who allegedly told Lithuanian authorities he was fleeing Russia due to persecution over his social media activity, was initially barred from using online channels for three years following his release. However, Lithuanian authorities returned him to Russia after assessing inconsistent information provided by Odintsov and concerns about the threat he posed if he entered the EU.
The man was detained again on September 21, and the court handed down its verdict on September 30. Odintsov went into hiding from court proceedings on September 17, the same day he crossed the Nemunas River.
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