Lithuania is seeking consular access to two citizens detained in Iran, but providing assistance is proving particularly difficult. The case has drawn attention to the Foreign Ministry’s travel warnings and the challenges diplomats face when Lithuanian citizens encounter trouble in countries where Lithuania has no diplomatic representation.
The Foreign Ministry confirmed that the two women, whom Vilnius police had been searching for since October 11, were detained in Iran in mid-October. The ministry is trying to arrange consular assistance but has said the process is complicated.
Iran is marked in black on the ministry’s travel advisory map, meaning Lithuanian citizens are urged to leave the country immediately.
Five levels of travel warnings
The Foreign Ministry divides countries into five categories, marked in green, yellow, orange, red and black, depending on the level of risk and the recommended precautions.
- Green: No specific travel warnings apply. Countries in this category include Canada, Finland, Norway, Germany and Poland.
- Yellow: Travelers are advised to take precautions. This category includes the United States, Iceland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Turkey and Kazakhstan.
- Orange: Travelers are advised to assess whether their trip is necessary. Mexico, Egypt, China and Jordan are among the countries in this category.
- Red: Travel is not recommended. Countries in this category include Venezuela, Pakistan, Iraq and Algeria.
- Black: Travelers are urged to leave immediately. The list includes Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Mali, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Myanmar, Afghanistan, North Korea and Iran.
The Foreign Ministry publishes its full travel advisory map on its website, where travellers can check recommendations for individual destinations before departure.
Lithuania seeks help from other countries
Remigijus Motuzas, a diplomat who chairs the Lithuanian parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, told LRT.lt that assisting citizens detained abroad can be difficult, particularly when Lithuania lacks diplomatic representation in the country concerned.
He said consular assistance has two main priorities: establishing contact with the local authorities to determine why a citizen has been detained, and reaching the detainee to assess their situation and ensure their rights are respected.
“The other, even more important, task is to contact the detained citizen to establish the conditions in which they are being held, whether their rights have been violated under international conventions, whether they are receiving medical care if they have health conditions, and whether they are being tortured, among other things,” Motuzas said.
Assistance can also include support for the detainees’ relatives and help obtaining legal representation, he added.
The detention of the two Lithuanian women has prompted questions about their decision to travel to Iran despite the government’s strong warning against visiting the country.
Motuzas said, however, that the state remains responsible for helping citizens who find themselves in danger abroad, regardless of whether they followed official travel advice.
“We say that people are responsible for their own decisions when travel is not recommended. But, on the other hand, it is a diplomat’s duty not to abandon someone in distress,” he said. “Assistance is provided regardless of the circumstances in which a person arrived.”
EU partners can help when Lithuania has no embassy
When a Lithuanian citizen is detained in a country where Lithuania has no diplomatic mission, the government seeks assistance from other European Union member states that may be able to intervene.
“That is also the case with Iran at the moment,” Motuzas said.
Lithuanian authorities are seeking to arrange a consular visit to the two detained women to establish their health and detention conditions and determine whether they have access to legal assistance and other necessary services.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
