Agreement reached with the UAE: nationals of both countries will be able to serve prison sentences in their own country
The Government approved the Ministry of Justice’s proposal to authorise the Minister of Justice, Evelina Dobrovolska, to sign agreements between Lithuania and the United Arab Emirates on extradition, on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and on the transfer of convicted persons.
As these agreements fall under the category of international agreements to be ratified, the power to act in connection with the conclusion of the agreements is conferred by the President on a proposal from the Government.
he signing and subsequent ratification of the agreements with the UAE will create legal possibilities for cooperation on extradition, as well as for mutual assistance in criminal matters, and will make it possible for nationals of both countries who have been sentenced to a term of imprisonment to serve their sentences in their home country.
“The United Arab Emirates is not a party to the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons of 1983, so in the absence of bilateral agreements, there was no legal way for Lithuania to take over a convicted person. In November, Following the successful completion of the final details of the agreements, it is expected that the agreements with the United Arab Emirates will be signed in the near future, thus creating legal opportunities for Lithuanian citizens to serve their prison sentences in Lithuania,” says E. Dobrovolska.
According to the Minister, the extradition agreement provides for the transfer of persons suspected of, accused of, or convicted of criminal offences, as well as for cooperation in the investigation of criminal cases, whether in a pre-trial investigation or in a court hearing, assistance in the taking of testimony, the making of statements, the delivery of documents, the carrying out of searches, seizures and confiscation of property, and so on.
Lithuania’s negotiations with the United Arab Emirates have lasted several years, and all the legal details of the agreements have now been agreed.