Lithuania's top prosecutor confirms ex-judge's extradition is ongoing, no comment on date

VILNIUS – Lithuania's Prosecutor General Evaldas Pasilis on Tuesday night confirmed the fact that the extradition of former judge and lawmaker Neringa Venckiene from the United States is ongoing but refused to comment on when exactly she would be brought to Lithuania.

"The extradition process is ongoing but I cannot say when she will be brought in, this or next week or some other time. Confidentiality is part of the tactics," Pasilis told BNS Lithuania.

Lithuania prosecutors have sought Venckiene's extradition to be able to charge her for failure to comply with the court ruling to return her niece to her mother, the girl's molestation, unlawful collection of information, abuse of a child's rights and other crimes.

Venckiene says the accusations are politically motivated.

Her lawyer Michael Monico told BNS Lithuania yesterday he had no specific information on Venckiene's extradition but called the process a disgrace, saying that she did nothing unlawful and is being extradited to completely political reasons.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Drasos Kelias (The Way of Courage) political party Venckiene established said she "is being prepared for traveling to Lithuania".

"In the next couple of hours, Venckiene should be taken to the airport and put on a plane from the United States to Lithuania," the party's statement reads.

The party's chairman Jonas Varkala told BNS Lithuania he received information on Venckiene's extradition from her family.

Venckiene fled Lithuania in 2013, around a year after the Seimas lifted her legal immunity. She was detained in Chicago in February, 2018.