Ukraine Extradites Russian Serviceman to Lithuania for War Crimes Trial, Marking Historic First

Historic Extradition to Lithuania

In a landmark development, Ukraine has extradited Russian serviceman Margen Gadzhimagemedov to Lithuania to face trial on charges of war crimes. This marks the first such extradition since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Office of the Prosecutor General, and the National Police collaborated on the transfer, which Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko hailed as a 'historic and important precedent for the entire international justice system'.

Gadzhimagemedov, identified as a military police inspector from Russia's Caspian Flotilla, was captured by Ukrainian forces during battles near Robotyne in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia Oblast in August 2024. The extradition to Lithuania occurred in late October 2025, following a request from the Lithuanian Prosecutor General's Office.

Allegations of Torture and Inhumane Treatment

The charges against Gadzhimagemedov stem from his alleged involvement in the torture and inhumane treatment of civilians and prisoners of war at a detention facility located at the temporarily occupied Melitopol airport in the Zaporizhzhia region. According to the SBU, the detainee allegedly used various forms of torture against prisoners, including:

• Suffocation until unconsciousness
• Electrocution
• Cold water immersion in freezing temperatures
• Being kept in metal safes
• Being hung by tied hands

Among the victims of these alleged atrocities was a Lithuanian volunteer who had been assisting Ukraine's Armed Forces since the early days of the full-scale invasion.

Legal Proceedings and International Cooperation

Following a joint investigation by Ukrainian authorities and international partners, Lithuania's Vilnius City Court charged Gadzhimagemedov with violating the Geneva Conventions and war laws. Under Lithuanian law, such crimes against civilians and prisoners of war, committed through torture and unlawful detention, carry severe penalties. He faces potential prison terms of 10 to 20 years, or even life imprisonment.

Lithuanian Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė and Deputy Prosecutor General Gintas Ivanauskas expressed gratitude to their Ukrainian counterparts for their significant contribution to the investigation, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in holding war criminals accountable. This extradition sends 'a clear signal to every war criminal: you will not be able to hide from justice in any country of the free world,' stated Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.