Lithuania celebrates Freedom Defenders Day (Photo, video)

Meanwhile, Belarusian government refuses to extradite to Lithuania the general charged with military crimes.

On January 13 Lithuania pays tribute to the memory of peaceful people who died in 1991 when Soviet troops tried to overthrow legitimate authority in Lithuania, after the Supreme Soviet of Lithuania announced the country’s independence.

14 persons were killed in Vilnius then, including a 18-year-old girl, and thousands were injured during storming of the TV tower and the Lithuanian TV and Radio office by Soviet army.

The soviet troops managed to seize those buildings then, but near the building of the Seimas, then the Supreme Counvil of Lithuania, tanks and troops were stopped by a many-thousands strong crowd of unarmed people, who were staying in the bitter frost day and night. Their only weapon was a song, that’s why these events were dubbed “singing revolution”.

As charter97.org website informed, Belarus still refuses to extradite to Lithuania General Uladzimir Uskhopchyk, who is accused in the case of anti-state coup on January 13, 1991. Starting from 1992, representatives of the prosecutor’s office of Lithuania, regularly demanded Belarusian authorities to extradite Uskhopchyk. But instead of surrendering the suspect to the authorities of the country in which he is charged with commitment of numerous crimes, including grave ones, Alyaksandar Lukashenka appointed Uskhopchyk deputy defense minister in May 2004. On February 23, 2004 Uskhopchyk was awarded “For service to Motherland” order.