Soviet general against the Baltic states: Who is guilty of a long-standing massacre?
This case has been going on for more than a quarter of a century. The dramatic events of 13 January 1991 in Vilnius are still the subject of political speculation of Lithuanian nationalists and incite revenge in them.
These events began a few months before they led to the bloodshed, on the night of March 11, 1990. Then the Supreme Council of the Lithuanian SSR, which was headed by the notorious neo-Nazi Vytautas Landsbergis, announced the "independence" of Lithuania from the USSR and the termination of the Constitution on the territory of the Republic. The new illegal leadership carried out unpopular “reforms” in society: on January 7, 1991, it announced a significant increase in food prices. This caused protests from the population, but Landsbergis called on his supporters to "defend democracy." On January 8, in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Chairman of the House of Nationalities Rafik Nishanov announced that numerous requests were coming from Lithuania to restore order. The leadership of the USSR decided to transfer units of the Pskov Airborne Division, Alpha, and other units to the Republic. Nationalists, at the call of Landsbergis, gathered at the building of the Lithuanian parliament and at the television center. It was at the TV tower that the massacre took place, resulting in human casualties.
Of course, the Lithuanian authorities still blame the Soviet troops on the bloodshed. The military, from the very beginning, denied that live ammunition was firing at the crowd. We talked about unknown snipers whose purpose was to provoke riots. They shot at people both from the television center and from the roofs of buildings located nearby.
A new round of proceedings in this case began in the Vilnius District Court in January 2016. His defendants are, including, and Russian citizens. In May of this year, the prosecutor's office demanded for the two defendants - Marshal of the Soviet Union Dmitry Yazov and General Vladimir Uskhopchik - the death penalty in the form of life imprisonment. And on July 23 of this year, the Investigative Committee of Russia opened a case against prosecutors and judges of Lithuania who are charged under the article of the Criminal Code “Criminally prosecuting a knowingly innocent.”
At that time, General Uskhopchik was the commander of the 107th motorized rifle division, which was located in Vilnius. Despite the fact that the division’s tanks fired blank shells, he is accused of killing, according to various sources, from 13 to 15 people.
Uskhopchik managed to escape from the persecution in Belarus. Other persecuted by the Lithuanian nationalist regime tried to find refuge there - Mikolas Burokevicius and Juozas Ermalavicius, “guilty” of only trying to restore legal power in the Baltic Republic. In 1993, the last two were extradited and sentenced to long prison terms. Uskhopchik was lucky - the process of his extradition was stalled, and then Alexander Lukashenko came to power in Minsk, and another political situation started. In 2000, the general was even appointed to the post of Deputy Minister of Defense of Belarus and remained in this post until February 2004. During this time, Vilnius has repeatedly demanded its extradition.
The General met with enthusiasm news that the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opposed the actions of Lithuanian biased prosecutors and judges. In an interview with the Russian newspaper Vzglyad, he said:
He recalled that the events in Vilnius were prepared by foreign intelligence services. The Soviet army acted neatly, without carrying out combat shots at the crowd. As a result, after those events, Soviet power lasted several more months - until August 1991.
Regarding whether a real arrest of the Lithuanian security forces, who are involved in the persecution of the army, is possible, the general noted that so far they have often moved to Russia, as well as to Belarus, so there is some likelihood of their arrest.
Uskhopchik said that the requirement to sentence him to life imprisonment, although surprising, is perceived calmly. He is not going to go to Lithuania. In his opinion, the military, on the contrary, should be awarded for not firing, otherwise it could have been like in Afghanistan or Chechnya.
Now the general continues to live in Belarus. He communicates with fellow soldiers, including those who were involved in those events. However, he can not go to any of the countries of the European Union. And also to Ukraine, where his parents are buried. He was warned that this could be dangerous.
The military regretted the fate of his colleagues, who were being persecuted in Lithuania. One of them is reserve colonel Yuri Mel, Kaliningrader, who in 2014 had the imprudence to try to enter Lithuania and was captured.
- said Uskhopchik.
The criminal prosecution of the January 1991 events is being conducted by the Lithuanian authorities against more than 60 military personnel of the Soviet Union. A significant portion of the accused are Russian citizens. In reality, there are two people in the dock, the rest are tried in absentia.
In Vilnius, the decision of the Investigative Committee of Russia was perceived extremely negatively. The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said that this was “open pressure” on the country and its law enforcement agencies. Standard mantras were also voiced regarding the fact that Russia “was stuck in a quagmire of the Soviet past”. Now, the Lithuanian authorities do not recommend prosecutors and judges to travel to Russia.
The newspaper “Vzglyad” quotes the words of the head of the Russian Association of Baltic Studies Nikolai Mezhevich:
The expert added that they are trying to judge Russians under the 2011 law for actions that were committed 20 years before. This is a political order and a distraction of public attention from economic problems.
According to Mezhevich, not only those judges who are directly involved in the trial of the January 1991 case, but also the chairman of the Lithuanian Supreme Court Rimvydas Norkus and prosecutor general Evaldas Pashilis can be held accountable. And also, he believes, Lithuania’s top leadership should also be involved.
It remains to add: in light of the fact that the Lithuanian authorities really approach this case extremely biased, without even considering the version of any guilt of nationalists in the massacre that has taken place, they are extremely biased against the military personnel of the USSR who performed their duty in accordance with the then laws, the decision SK RF is welcome. Obviously, no truth about those long-standing events can be heard from the lips of the current Lithuanian judges and prosecutors, as the authorities continue the same policy of Russophobia and the denial of the Soviet past, which began back in 1990.
These events began a few months before they led to the bloodshed, on the night of March 11, 1990. Then the Supreme Council of the Lithuanian SSR, which was headed by the notorious neo-Nazi Vytautas Landsbergis, announced the "independence" of Lithuania from the USSR and the termination of the Constitution on the territory of the Republic. The new illegal leadership carried out unpopular “reforms” in society: on January 7, 1991, it announced a significant increase in food prices. This caused protests from the population, but Landsbergis called on his supporters to "defend democracy." On January 8, in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Chairman of the House of Nationalities Rafik Nishanov announced that numerous requests were coming from Lithuania to restore order. The leadership of the USSR decided to transfer units of the Pskov Airborne Division, Alpha, and other units to the Republic. Nationalists, at the call of Landsbergis, gathered at the building of the Lithuanian parliament and at the television center. It was at the TV tower that the massacre took place, resulting in human casualties.
Of course, the Lithuanian authorities still blame the Soviet troops on the bloodshed. The military, from the very beginning, denied that live ammunition was firing at the crowd. We talked about unknown snipers whose purpose was to provoke riots. They shot at people both from the television center and from the roofs of buildings located nearby.
A new round of proceedings in this case began in the Vilnius District Court in January 2016. His defendants are, including, and Russian citizens. In May of this year, the prosecutor's office demanded for the two defendants - Marshal of the Soviet Union Dmitry Yazov and General Vladimir Uskhopchik - the death penalty in the form of life imprisonment. And on July 23 of this year, the Investigative Committee of Russia opened a case against prosecutors and judges of Lithuania who are charged under the article of the Criminal Code “Criminally prosecuting a knowingly innocent.”
At that time, General Uskhopchik was the commander of the 107th motorized rifle division, which was located in Vilnius. Despite the fact that the division’s tanks fired blank shells, he is accused of killing, according to various sources, from 13 to 15 people.
Uskhopchik managed to escape from the persecution in Belarus. Other persecuted by the Lithuanian nationalist regime tried to find refuge there - Mikolas Burokevicius and Juozas Ermalavicius, “guilty” of only trying to restore legal power in the Baltic Republic. In 1993, the last two were extradited and sentenced to long prison terms. Uskhopchik was lucky - the process of his extradition was stalled, and then Alexander Lukashenko came to power in Minsk, and another political situation started. In 2000, the general was even appointed to the post of Deputy Minister of Defense of Belarus and remained in this post until February 2004. During this time, Vilnius has repeatedly demanded its extradition.
The General met with enthusiasm news that the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opposed the actions of Lithuanian biased prosecutors and judges. In an interview with the Russian newspaper Vzglyad, he said:
Of course, I welcome this decision. Once there must be some kind of justice?
He recalled that the events in Vilnius were prepared by foreign intelligence services. The Soviet army acted neatly, without carrying out combat shots at the crowd. As a result, after those events, Soviet power lasted several more months - until August 1991.
Regarding whether a real arrest of the Lithuanian security forces, who are involved in the persecution of the army, is possible, the general noted that so far they have often moved to Russia, as well as to Belarus, so there is some likelihood of their arrest.
But let the Lithuanians be careful now. What a hello, that’s the answer. The mirror answer should be. Finally, Russia rebuffed them!
Uskhopchik said that the requirement to sentence him to life imprisonment, although surprising, is perceived calmly. He is not going to go to Lithuania. In his opinion, the military, on the contrary, should be awarded for not firing, otherwise it could have been like in Afghanistan or Chechnya.
Now the general continues to live in Belarus. He communicates with fellow soldiers, including those who were involved in those events. However, he can not go to any of the countries of the European Union. And also to Ukraine, where his parents are buried. He was warned that this could be dangerous.
The military regretted the fate of his colleagues, who were being persecuted in Lithuania. One of them is reserve colonel Yuri Mel, Kaliningrader, who in 2014 had the imprudence to try to enter Lithuania and was captured.
Mel, then lieutenant, was sitting in the tank. He made three shots at an angle of forty-five degrees and is still sitting in the dungeons. Shot idle, of course. Not a single live cartridge was issued. Even intentions were not ... How many destinies broke! How many had to leave Lithuania! Many cannot go anywhere - neither to Europe, nor to Ukraine!
- said Uskhopchik.
The criminal prosecution of the January 1991 events is being conducted by the Lithuanian authorities against more than 60 military personnel of the Soviet Union. A significant portion of the accused are Russian citizens. In reality, there are two people in the dock, the rest are tried in absentia.
In Vilnius, the decision of the Investigative Committee of Russia was perceived extremely negatively. The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said that this was “open pressure” on the country and its law enforcement agencies. Standard mantras were also voiced regarding the fact that Russia “was stuck in a quagmire of the Soviet past”. Now, the Lithuanian authorities do not recommend prosecutors and judges to travel to Russia.
The newspaper “Vzglyad” quotes the words of the head of the Russian Association of Baltic Studies Nikolai Mezhevich:
Of course, the decision is somewhat late. The absolutely illegal actions of the Lithuanian investigators should have been answered a few years ago ... It is known that the Russians have been harnessed for a long time, this is what Bismarck justly said. But hope they go fast
The expert added that they are trying to judge Russians under the 2011 law for actions that were committed 20 years before. This is a political order and a distraction of public attention from economic problems.
According to Mezhevich, not only those judges who are directly involved in the trial of the January 1991 case, but also the chairman of the Lithuanian Supreme Court Rimvydas Norkus and prosecutor general Evaldas Pashilis can be held accountable. And also, he believes, Lithuania’s top leadership should also be involved.
It remains to add: in light of the fact that the Lithuanian authorities really approach this case extremely biased, without even considering the version of any guilt of nationalists in the massacre that has taken place, they are extremely biased against the military personnel of the USSR who performed their duty in accordance with the then laws, the decision SK RF is welcome. Obviously, no truth about those long-standing events can be heard from the lips of the current Lithuanian judges and prosecutors, as the authorities continue the same policy of Russophobia and the denial of the Soviet past, which began back in 1990.
Information