A Lithuanian court has rejected the release of an Irishman suspected of links with the Real-IRA, snared in a fake arms deal in January.
The appeals court has refused to overturn a 22 October ruling that the man must stay behind bars for two more months.
It said there were sufficient grounds for the man to remain in custody during the probe because, as a foreign citizen without a permanent home or source of income in Lithuania, there was a high risk that he could flee.
The man's lawyers had complained about the sluggishness of the case.
The court, however, countered that the investigation was on ice because Lithuania was awaiting a decision on the extradition from Ireland of the man's brother, who is also a suspect.
Lithuania arrest
The Irishman was arrested in Lithuania in January on suspicion of involvement with a breakaway faction of the Real IRA.
He was apprehended while negotiating with an undercover police officer posing as an arms dealer, as part of what Lithuanian authorities described as a international counter-terrorist sting.
