Lithuanian MFA filed note of protest to Belarus

On January 13, The Lithuanian MFA filed a note to Belarus connected with refusal of the Belarusian General Prosecutor’s Office to render legal assistance to Lithuania in the case of General Uladzimir Uskhopchyk.

The note says the ground given by the Belarusian General Prosecutor’s Office contradict the bilateral arrangements. It was suggested that the Belarusian Foreign Ministry should pay attention to this fact, the Lithuanian website DELFI learnt from a diplomatic source.

As charter97.org has already reported, 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, Alyaksandr Lukashenka appointed Uskhopchyk deputy defense minister in May 2004. On February 23, 2004 Uskhopchyk was awarded “For service to Motherland” order.

Last week Lithuanian Prosecutor-General’s Office received and answer from the Prosecutor-General’s Office of Belarus. It states that Lithuania won’t be granted help in the case of January 13. The Prosecutor-General’s Office of Belarus reiterated its position that actions of the suspects are estimated by it under the laws in force then, the laws of the Soviet Union, as an intention to defend the constitutional order of that state and its territorial integrity.

Vygaudas Ušackas, Foreign Minister of Lithuania, said in this connection that “Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s promise to cooperate with Lithuania in investigation of the case of January 13 which is especially important for our nation, which he gave during his visit to Vilnius, has not been fulfilled.”

“The Foreign Ministry in cooperation with the Prosecutor-General’s Office will do its best for the criminal prosecution to be continued. We hope that Belarus will estimate justice not according to the laws of the totalitarian state which once existed, the state which has caused a lot of harm, sufferings and victims to Belarus’ citizens as well, but will be guided by principles of respect to human rights, democracy and good neighbourhood practices,” Vygaudas Ušackas said.

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. General Uskhopchi was commander of the Vilnius garrison. 14 persons were killed in Vilnius then and more than a thousand were injured during storming of the TV tower and the Lithuanian TV and Radio office by Soviet army.