Belarusian dictator covers up war criminal searched by Lithuania

Alyaksandr Lukashenka has made a stand for Belarusian general Uladzimir Uskhopchyk, who was a commander of a Soviet garrison in Vilnius, and on January 13, 1991 issued the order to fire at fighters for independence of Lithuania.

In the run-up to the visit to Vilnius where the Belarusian-Lithuanian Forum will take place, Alyaksandr Lukashenka has given an interview to Lithuanian mass media.

In the interview to “Lietuvos rytas” the Belarusian leader stated that the relations of Belarus and Lithuania are very good, and it is not his problem that as a president he might seem politically inappropriate. “Frankly speaking, I do not bother my head with thoughts what could be expected from this visit. Our relations with Lithuania are very good,” Lukashenka said.

He confirmed that the issue of transit is especially important in the relations.

“Since Soviet times we have been working through Kaliningrad port, though ours and yours Klaipeda. Klaipeda is far away, and we know the rout of cargo well. A considerable part of Lithuania’s budget is income for Belarusian transit through Klaipeda port. We are not going to leave this rout. (…) Speaking about that, I would like to underline: we do not have great economic problems. I do not remember a single fact about any economic strives with Lithuania. I am not concerned about our relations with Lithuania,” Lukashenka said.

The Belarusian leader states that he is looking forward to meeting with Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaitė: “I am looking for a good meeting with my colleague, Lithuanian president. We have things to discuss. We are not closed people, and know what our nations are expecting from us,” he said.

“Lukashenka had been demonized in Lithuania, like in some other countries of Europe. I am occupying the position of the president for many years. Maybe you have become tired of that, but I’m still in this position. But it is a problem of any individual in Lithuania and Belarus,” Lukashenka said.

The dictator stated that he was among those who were supporting the independence of Lithuania, and, as said by him, the chairman of the Supreme Soviet and Reconstituent Seimas of Lithuania Vytautas Landsbergis criticizing the head of Belarus is forgetting about that.

“Do you know where Lukashenka was in the hardest historical moment when there were shots in Vilnius? In Vilnius, in the Supreme Soviet. We have been making our way through barricades to the Supreme Soviet, to Vytautas Landsbergis, to express solidarity. We want peace in Lithuania,” Lukashenka said.

However, as said by him, now Landsbergis calls him an enemy. “Now this deputy Lukashenka is called a dictator and an enemy. I am considered to be an enemy by Landsbergis as well. He has short memory,” Lukashenka states.

The Belarusian dictator has also refuted statements about covering up the culprit of the evens on January 13, 1991, Uladzimir Uskhopchyk, who ordered to start shooting at protesting Lithuanians.

“I do not know such a fact that this general ordered to start shooting. If he had been shooting at civilians, he wouldn’t be given such a position, and wouldn’t spend a day here. Why haven’t your authorities offered me proofs? We are hearing about that only from journalists,” Lukashenka stated and assured that in case Lithuanian prosecutors would address him, this issue would be investigated.

“Such a question cannot be ignored. If the Lithuanian Prosecutor’s Office would need information, we’ll answer. It is your question, not ours. We do not have information they are enemies. They have been serving Belarus honestly and nobly. I do not have claims against them. As far as I know, they are retired already,” Lukashenka said.

Note by www.charter97.org:

We remind that general Uladzimir Uskhopchyk (Vladimir Uskhopchik) for many years is wanted list of Lithuanian prosecutor’s office for involvement to civilians’ massacre. In January 1991 Uskhopchyk was a commander of Vilnius garrison, and his soldiers killed fighters for independence of Lithuania.

Vitautas Landsbergis, a former chairman of the Supreme Council of Lithuania, gave the court recorded phone talks with Uskhopchyk, when he was threatening to use force. Landsbergis many times stated that “General Uskhopchyk was an active participant of January events, he was in command of Vilnius garrison, and on his order tanks and armoured personnel carriers attacked unarmed civilians”.

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.

Photo above: Deputy Defense Minister of Belarus Uladzimir Uskhopchyk during military parade in Minsk on July 3, 2001

January 13, 1991, Vilnius