Monika Juškevičiūtė, LRT.lt.

A dispute has emerged over the circumstances surrounding the return to Russia of a young man reported to be a deserter from the Russian military, after he spent several months in Lithuania detained and seeking asylum.

The Telegram channel and Russian human rights outlet Slovo Zaschchite (Word of Defence) claims the man fled directly from the frontline in Ukraine, crossed into Lithuania without a passport, immediately asked for asylum and was forcibly deported on June 15.

Lithuanian border authorities, however, say he voluntarily withdrew his asylum claim and agreed to go home.

What the Lithuanian authorities say

According to the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service, the man was detained on December 29 after crossing the border from Russia irregularly.

He was subsequently convicted of unlawful border crossing and sentenced to four months and twenty days in prison, a term reduced by time already spent in pre-trial detention, meaning he served roughly one month in custody.

Read more: LRT.LT