VILNIUS, Lithuania — A Lithuanian woman has been detained on suspicion of liaising with radical Islamic groups and plotting a suicide attack against an undisclosed Russian military target, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Egle Kusaite, 20, was arrested in October after Lithuanian police received information about her possible links to terrorists groups in Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Britain, prosecutors said.
She was charged with engaging in terrorist activities and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors waited more than half a year to release information on the case because the probe has been ongoing. They were finally forced to make a statement during a court hearing in which she was ordered to remain in jail during the investigation.
"Egle Kusaite performed illegal actions, and was likely ordered by someone to go to Russia and blow herself up at a military object," prosecutor Justas Laucius said in court.
Kusaite's lawyer, Rasa Kucinskaite, argued Tuesday that Kusaite should be released until the start of the trial because there was no risk she would attempt an escape. The lawyer did not say how the defendant views the charges against her.
Laucius said Kusaite was trained to build and detonate explosive devices and that she received financing fr om abroad. He also said the woman communicated with her handlers over the Internet.
Prosecutors have denied reports that Kusaite had been designated to take part in the March bombings in Moscow's metro that killed 40 people and wounded 121.
Kusaite, who was reported missing from her home in Klaipeda, Lithuania, in 2007, tried unsuccessfully to obtain a Russian visa several times, prosecutors said. Eventually, her request was accepted as part of a joint operation by Russian and Lithuanian security services that led to her arrest.
Laucius said that after getting the visa, Kusaite purchased a one-way ticket to Moscow.
Kusaite's former teacher, Alma Vaiciuliene, told the Lietuvos Rytas daily that Kusaite had a close relationship with a former Chechen rebel who lived in Lithuania. She said the rebel later returned to the North Caucasus, wh ere he was killed.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.