Lithuania charges Belarusian general Uskhopchyk with military crimes (Photo)
- 31.05.2010, 12:24
The office of Prosecutor General of Lithuania has re-determined the nature of the crime in the case of the military coup attempt in January 1991 as military crimes.
We remind that on Janury 13, 1991 overnight Soviet troops made an attempt to sezie the TV tower in Vilnius with the support of tanks. 14 persons died then, and hundreds were wounded.
As informed by a Lithuanian TV channel LNK, notifications for 25 persons living in Russia and Belarus have been prepared that the charges agains them had been re-determined. Among the suspects are the former commander of the Vilnius garrison General Uladzimir Uskhopchyk living in Belarus. Lithuanian law-enforcing agencies claim that he ordered to open fire on civilians, NEWSru.com reports.
Besides, charges have been made against General Algimantas Naudziunas, Anatoly Subbotin, colonel Edmundas Kasperavičius and others.
According to the Criminal code of Lithuania, a person which basing upon the policy of a state or organisation attacks civilians, kills them or harms their health, is punisahed by deprivation of liberty for a term from 5 to 20 years, or a life sentence. These crimes have no period of limitation.
According to Lithuanian laws, 25 persons charged with military crimes are to become suspects in case law-enforcing agencies of Russia and Belarus would hand in notifications to them, question them or deliver them to Lithuania.
As Raimondas Petrauskas, temporarily heading the Prosecutor General's Office of Lithuania, stated to the TV channel, while previously charges were filed under separate articles such as murder, infliction of bodily injury, buildings destruction and others, this article encompasses all these actions.
Recently prosecutors interrogated one more suspect. He is a former deputy leader of "Edinstvo" movement Pavel Vasilenko. He arrived from Ukraine to bear witness in the case of murder of Lithuanian officials at the checkpoint in Medininkai.
In the case of January 13 he appears as a suspect in participation in activities of anti-constitutional groups and organisations, as well as in calls to violate sovereognity of Lithuania. However, the criminal case against him is to be closed soon, as the period of limitation for it expires.
A note by charter97.org: General Uladzimir Uskhopchyk is searched by Lithuanian Prosecutor General's Office for many years. He is charged with perticipation in murder. In January 1991 the general was the Vilnius garrison commander, and his subordinates opened fire on fighters for independence of Lithuania.
Vytautas Landsbergis, a former chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Lithuania, offered the court tapes of phone talks with Uskhopchyk, where he threatened to apply force against demonstrators. 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. On February 23, 2004 Uskhopchyk was awarded “For service to Motherland” order.
Many thousands strong meeting near the Parliament after Soviet troops seized Vilnius TV Tower on January 14 1991. 13 civilians were killed during the operation on January 13-14 1991.