The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ordered Lithuania to pay damages to a Saudi national who was detained at a secret CIA prison in the country, BNS reports. The court found that the man was held at the so-called black site near Vilnius for more than five months in 2005-2006. The man, who…
Estonia’s northeastern border city of Narva now has two rival city council chairmen and two rival mayors, ERR reports. Earlier, the opposition Estonian Centre Party and populist Plan B movement gained a majority in the city council and decided to convene a city council meeting on their own, given that the incumbent chairman, Mihhail Stalnuhhin,…
Two freight trains derailed in Lithuania within 48 hours on 1 and 2 May 2026, prompting fears of possible Russian sabotage, LRT reported. However, Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said that the accidents were caused by technical failure or human error, BNS reported. A spokesman for state-owned railway group Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (LTG) said that the derailment…
Estonia’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) checked around 2,000 bank statements without legal authority, Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise announced, ERR reports. FIU had obtained full bank statements via the data exchange layer connected to the enforcement register, whereas the law only allows FIU access to basic information about bank accounts. FIU told ERR that it…
The Lithuanian government has asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate crimes against humanity committed by the Belarusian regime, LRT reports. The alleged crimes include forced deportations, persecution of opposition supporters, and other instances of cruel treatment, the Ministry of Justice stated. The ministry examined evidence provided by the Belarusian opposition and other sources….
Several ministries in Estonia have criticised the Ministry of Climate’s proposed new climate law, ERR reports. The ministries argued that the bill’s structure and purpose were unclear, and that the bill failed to define the rights and obligations under the proposed law. Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets and Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta said that the bill…
Several countries have expressed interest in renting Estonia’s empty prison space, according to the Ministry of Justice, ERR reports. A ministry official said that neighbouring countries had shown interest, and that European statistics indicated a demand for prison space. However, legislative amendments were needed before renting out prison space, the official added. Earlier reports suggested…
Estonia’s Ministry of Justice plans to submit a draft bill to expedite and make the handling of criminal cases more cost-effective, ERR reports. The proposed amendments aim to reduce delays in criminal proceedings by giving judges more control, such as preventing changes in defence attorneys to delay cases, separating civil claims from criminal cases, and…
Estonia continues to collect telecommunication data from its citizens despite it being against EU law and the constitution, ERR reports. The European Court of Justice and Estonia’s Supreme Court have concluded that the data collection is illegal. The data include detailed records from telecommunications and internet service providers, which the EU court argues infringes on…
