The ex-commander of the Alpha group was detained in Austria

The funeral of those who died during the events at the Vilnius television center.1991 Photo by D. Borko

In Austria, Colonel of the KGB reserve Mikhail Golovatov was detained, in 1991-1992, who commanded the Alpha group, which on January 13, 1991 stormed the television tower in Vilnius, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the Lithuanian television channel LNK. The Prosecutor General’s Office of Lithuania is not called this surname, but it is reported that the suspect in the case of the events of January 13, 1991 was detained under the arrest issued by the European Order.

"The Austrian Republic will decide on the transfer of the detainee to Lithuania," the press service of the Prosecutor General of Lithuania said. Currently, the department is waiting for a detainee’s response regarding his issuance to Lithuania. “If a person is in accordance with, then such a procedure can last up to ten days,” said Thomas Krushna, deputy chief prosecutor of the criminal prosecution department of the Prosecutor General’s Office. “But each business is individual. While the person is in the jurisdiction of the Austrian Republic, and the Prosecutor General’s Office can provide all the information that Austrian colleagues request,” he added.

For the crimes committed by the Soviet military on January 13, 1991, the Vilnius District Court sentenced six people in 1999, another 23 remain suspects in this case, an investigation is being conducted. Of the 23 suspects - 21 citizens of Russia and two citizens of Belarus.

Last year, crimes incriminated by the suspect were re -qualified in accordance with the 100th article of the Lithuanian Criminal Code, which provides for liability for the prohibited by international law. In March of this year, the Lithuanian Seim of Lithuania adopted amendments to the Criminal Code, according to which the statute of limitations is not applied to such crimes, and the maximum established punishment is lifelong imprisonment.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, 94 petitions for legal assistance to Belarus, Russia and Germany were sent over the entire period of the investigation, but only negative answers were received. Currently, an international search for suspects in the European Union is underway, and European arrest orders have been issued.

The Russian side does not see any grounds for making any complaints to her on the 1991 January events and offers to leave the past to the court of historians.

In May 2011, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Lithuania sent an appeal to Russian officials with a request to interrogate the former President of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev in the case of events on January 13, 1991. "The prosecutors of the Prosecutor General’s Office prepared and sent a request for legal assistance to the Russian Federation in order to interview the former president of the Soviet Union," the press release of the Prosecutor General’s Office says. On January 13, 1991, in Vilnius, the special forces captured the television tower, then the Soviet troops stormed the Vilnius television center, then the Radio Committee and the Telegraph. As a result, 13 people were killed.

In January of this year, the Minister of Defense of Lithuania RASA Yuknyavichene said that Lithuania was counting on compensation from Russia for the death of people during those events. “Just as Germany compensates to other peoples what was done decades ago, so, I think that honest leaders of honest states should always be guided by the same principles,” Yuknyavichene said. However, according to her, first it is necessary to "triumph justice." “I am surprised when there is not even a recognition from the officials of Russia that the perpetrators in those events should appear before the court. And we are waiting, and this is not easy, our prosecutor’s office is working to achieve legal assistance from Russia - to find those who did it, who killed people, and so that justice triumphs. This is the most important thing,” the Minister of Defense said.