"We have decided against appealing the court ruling. The court suggested appealing or reconsidering. We have made the decision to reconsider and we have received additional information from public organizations," Almantas Gavėnas, director of the Migration Department, told BNS on Friday.
Friday was the last day for the Migration Department to appeal a ruling by Vilnius Regional Administrative Court, satisfying Zakharchenko's appeal against the department's decision denying him asylum.
The court ruled on 12 October that the Migration Department had failed to collect enough information from human rights organization on the situation in Belarus, violated request processing procedures, failed to properly explain rights and obligations, and failed to evaluate circumstances under which Zakharchenko left his country of origin.
Zakharchenko told the court he would face persecution in Belarus. He said he refused to sign documents on the use of violence against civilians and deserted from the Belarusian army. The Belarusian also said he had been subjected to abuse and psychological violence.
The processing of Zakharchenko's request might take up to three months.
Lithuania's Prosecutor General's Office has received several legal assistance requests regarding Zakharchenko from Belarus but does not comment on them.
