In 1991, proindependence lithuanians took to the streets against soviet tanks. Just after winning the nobel peace prize, soviet leader mikhail gorbachev orders the soviet military into the breakaway soviet republic of lithuania to crackdown on. Witness history, soviet lithuania crackdown bbc world service. Soviet crackdown in lithuania unlikely to break us. Former soviet defense chief convicted of war crimes in 1991 vilnius crackdown. Lithuania convicts exussr defense minister of war crimes a lithuanian court has found soviet unions last defense minister guilty of war crimes for his role in a violent crackdown on the baltic. They include soviet era political leaders, kgb and military officers and others accused of orchestrating or taking part in a jan. Jan 30, 2020 just after winning the nobel peace prize, soviet leader mikhail gorbachev orders the soviet military into the breakaway soviet republic of lithuania to crackdown on an independence movement. Lithuania marks 30 years since split that doomed soviet empire. A lithuanian court in 2019 found over 60 former soviet officials guilty of war crimes in absentia for their role in the bloody 1991 crackdown against the proindependence movement in vilnius that. Crackdown in latvia and lithuania 1991 seventeen moments.
The independence declaration was followed by an economic blockade and a bloody military crackdown, but moscow finally recognised. Newspaper article the christian science monitor soviet military takes charge in lithuania crackdown raises prospect that gorbachev has lost faith in. Soviet deportations from lithuania were a series of 35 mass deportations carried out in lithuania, a country that was occupied as a constituent socialist republic of the soviet union, in 1941 and 19451952. Sep 01, 2015 reuters on august 31, 2015, reported that lithuania has charged 66 citizens of russia, belarus and ukraine with war crimes and crimes against humanity over the deaths of civilians in a soviet crackdown on the baltic states proindependence movement in 1991, prosecutors said. Sausio ivykiai took place in lithuania between 11 and january 1991 in the aftermath of the act of the reestablishment of the state of lithuania. Lithuania was annexed by the soviets during world war ii and then.
Lithuania remembers 20th anniversary of soviet crackdown. Vilnius lithuania gave a proper assessment to dmitry yazovs role in the soviet armys crackdown on unarmed civilians in vilnius in ja. As disturbed as president bush says he is over soviet actions in lithuania, us soviet relations are unlikely to suffer badly. Lithuania has outstanding international arrest warrants for. Soviet occupation of lithuania 1944 1990 from the soviet occupation in 1944 to the death of stalin in 1953 eastern europe was a stalins playfield with human rights practically nonexistent. Last year, a lithuanian court found more than 60 former soviet officials guilty of war crimes in absentia for their role in a bloody 1991 crackdown against the proindependence movement that killed 14 civilians and wounded over 700. The soviet union declared lithuania a constituent republic on aug. Lithuania prosecutes exsoviet soldiers over cold war. The congressional human rights caucus, a bipartisan organization concerned with human rights violations around the world, heard testimony on the recent occupation of vilnius, lithuania by soviet. Vilnius, lithuania ap a lithuanian court on wednesday found the soviet unions last defense minister guilty of war crimes for his role in a violent crackdown on the baltic countrys independence move 28 years ago. The national salvation committee, a faceless group of communist party loyalists, imposed a series of repressive measures on lithuania today after the soviet army, with tanks and machine guns, had. Bbc world service witness history, soviet lithuania crackdown.
Lithuania jails soviet defense minister for 1991 crackdown. Anthony mason soviet military crackdown in lithuania featured. Lithuanian foreign minister algirdas saudargas denies charges by soviet interior minister that troops were provoked. The final number of civilians killed in the crackdown was 14. Lithuania convicts exussr defense minister of war crimes. A lithuanian court has found the soviet unions last defense minister guilty of war crimes for his role in a violent crackdown on the baltic countrys independence move 28 years ago. Soviets shift tactics after crackdown in lithuania. Lithuania seeks to heal soviet trauma after 30 years of freedom. Soviet military takes charge in lithuania crackdown. Therefore, the running time of this hearing was expected to be an hour, with a more indepth hearing to follow later on. Lithuania finds exsoviet defense minister guilty of war crimes. The vilnius regional court sentenced 94yearold dmitry. Lithuania has charged 66 citizens of russia, belarus and ukraine with war crimes and crimes against humanity over the deaths of civilians in a soviet crackdown on the baltic states pro.
Russian tried for 1991 crackdown in vilnius says soviet army was. Lithuania marks 25th anniversary of soviet crackdown. A lithuanian court has convicted a former soviet military chief and a senior kgb. As a result of soviet military actions, 14 civilians were killed and 702 were injured. Moscow insisted the trial was politically motivated. Estonia, latvia, and lithuania had all been illegally absorbed into what was then the soviet union.
However, most were tried in absentia, and one of them, the then soviet leader mikhail gorbachev, wasnt in vilnius, nor agreed to testify. Read more about lithuania jails soviet defense minister for 1991 crackdown on business standard. Lithuania supported the nazi germany during ww2 the truth. Take auksute ramanauskaite skokauskiene, who is one of lithuania s most prominent victims of historical. Lithuanian to sue gorbachev for soviet crackdown in. Lithuanian authorities have opened a mass trial against 65 former soviet officials for their role in a deadly 1991 crackdown.
Jaruzelski and siwicki maintained that the soviets had been preparing for. Soviet authorities encouraged the immigration of nonlithuanian workers, especially russians, as a way of integrating lithuania into the soviet union and encouraging industrial development, but in lithuania this process did not assume the massive scale experienced by other european soviet republics. Mar 27, 2019 a lithuanian court has convicted a former soviet military chief and a senior kgb officer of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during moscows 1991 crackdown on the countrys indep. Mar 27, 2019 lithuania convicts exussr defense minister of war crimes a lithuanian court has found soviet unions last defense minister guilty of war crimes for his role in a violent crackdown on the baltic. A lithuanian court has convicted a former soviet military chief and a senior kgb officer of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during moscows 1991 crackdown on the countrys indep. American concern is simply far greater over the outcome of the persian gulf confrontation, where soviet cooperation is vital. Jan, 2011 lithuania is commemorating the 20th anniversary of a deadly clash with soviet troops that preceded its independence in 1991. January events lithuania wikipedia republished wiki 2. Lithuania seeks to heal soviet trauma after 30 years of. Russian tried for 1991 crackdown in vilnius says soviet. In freezing temperatures, hundreds gather in lithuania to. Hundreds of people gathered in vilnius in freezing temperatures to honor the 14 people killed when soviet troops and tanks moved into a crowd of protesters outside a tv tower on january, 1991.
In march 1990, lithuania became the first of the 15 soviet republics to declare independence. News january 11, 1991 soviet union military in lithuania. A former soviet defence minister is among those convicted in absentia over a bloody 1991 crackdown. Mar 27, 2019 lithuania jails soviet defense minister for 1991 crackdown. After the defeat of germany, which occupied lithuania in world war ii, the soviet union reestablished its. The baltic nations president, dalia grybauskaite, has urged lithuanians never to forget the freedom battle, which killed 14 people and injured hundreds, adding that those responsible for the crackdown should be brought to justice. They were then annexed into the soviet union as constituent republics in august 1940, though most western powers and nations never recognised their incorporation. A lithuanian court on wednesday found the soviet unions last defense minister guilty of war crimes for his role in a violent crackdown on the baltic countrys independence move 28 years ago. Vilnius, lithuania ap with flowers and solemn speeches, lithuanians on wednesday marked the 25th anniversary of a deadly soviet crackdown that failed to quash the baltic countrys quest for. Lithuania was seized by the soviet union after world war ii, along with latvia and estonia. Lithuania commemorates 20th anniversary of soviet crackdown. A lithuanian court found former soviet defense minister dmitry yazov. The conflict over the baltic states continued to escalate as soviet troops stormed a police academy in latvia just two days after the assault on lithuania. World outcry against the january crackdown forced the soviets to pull back from direct.
Soviet reaction to the polish crisis of 19801981 wikipedia. Lithuanian dead buried as martyrs by bill keller, special to the new york times. Soviet crackdown in lithuania unlikely to break us relations. Bloodshed at lithuanian tv station at least people have been killed and more than 140 injured by the soviet military in the capital of lithuania as moscow continues its crackdown on the baltic republic and its drive for independence. Seeking justice for victims of the soviet regime to heal historical trauma has. There are many powerful women in politics around the world. Former soviet defense chief convicted of war crimes in.
Lithuanians are commemorating the victims of a deadly soviet crackdown in response to the countrys declaration of independence in january 1991. Gorbachev said he had decided not to impose presidential rule in lithuania. Auksute ramanauskaite skokauskiene spent her childhood in living under an assumed identity to avoid. Mar 11, 2020 seeking justice for victims of the soviet regime to heal historical trauma has become a top priority for lithuania as it marks 30 years since it became the first republic to break away from the ussr. Crackdown in latvia and lithuania 1991 description. At least,000 people, 70% of them women and children, were forcibly transported to labor camps and other forced settlements in remote parts of the soviet union, particularly in the. Lithuania convicts russians of war crimes under soviet rule bbc. Well, ive been following the situation in lithuania and the other baltic. Lithuanian prosecutors suspend one of investigations into. After the defeat of germany, which occupied lithuania in world war ii, the soviet. The soviet occupation resulted in hundreds of thousands of lithuanian deaths see soviet union has liberated lithuania myth and this was something most lithuanians foresighted but simply had no means to resist, being a small nation. The russian federation refused to question the former president of the soviet union mikhail gorbachev on the petition of the lithuanian prosecutors in connection with the january events of 1991. Former soviet defense chief convicted of war crimes in 1991. In november 1997, a conference was held in jachranka on the soviet role in the polish crisis of 19801981, where solidarity, polish communist, soviet and american participants of the events, including jaruzelski, kania, siwicki, kulikov and brzezinski, took part.
The conflict over the baltic states continued to escalate as soviet troops stormed a. Lithuania marks soviet crackdown of proindependence rally. A lithuanian court in 2019 found over 60 former soviet officials guilty of war crimes in absentia for their role in the bloody 1991 crackdown against the. Lithuania is commemorating the 20th anniversary of a deadly clash with soviet troops that preceded its independence in 1991. Sausio zudynes took place in lithuania between 11 and january 1991 in the aftermath of the act of the reestablishment of the state of lithuania. The events were centered in its capital, vilnius, along with related actions in its suburbs and in the cities of alytus. Apr 05, 2014 events in lithuania vilnius, january 1991. Lithuanian court to summon gorbachev to trial over 1991 soviet crackdown. Soviets shift tactics after crackdown in lithuania by. Prosecutors cancel decision to halt separate probe into 1991.
The baltic states, including lithuania, were forcibly annexed by the soviet union in 1940. A lithuanian court has convicted a former soviet military chief and a senior kgb officer of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during moscows 1991 crackdown. In march, vilnius regional court found dmitry yazov, a former soviet defence minister, and more than 60 other former soviet officials and military officers guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity for their involvement in the soviet crackdown in vilnius on january, 1991. Panorama of a square packed with people and trucks, a police car cruises the city streets, tracer bullets fly, people carry away a. In 1991, proindependence lithuanians took to the streets of vilnius against soviet tanks. Sausio zudynes took place in lithuania between 11 and.
Prosecutors say that mel was in a tank that assaulted the. In any case, attendees discussed, from the view of the u. After the defeat of germany, which occupied lithuania in world war ii, the soviet union reestablished its control in 1945 only to be faced in the. Newspaper article the christian science monitor soviet military takes charge in lithuania crackdown raises prospect that gorbachev has lost faith in democracy, or control of army. In march 2018, lithuania finished its biggest case, sentencing 67 people for war crimes and crimes against humanity for their role in the 1991 crackdown. Following is a transcript of president bushs statement at the white house today on the soviet crackdown in lithuania. Mel has been in detention since his was arrested on lithuanias border in march 2014. The vilnius regional court sentenced 94yearold dmitry yazov in absentia to 10 years in prison. Consequently, the tension in relations between latvia and the soviet union and between the independence movement and pro soviet forces, such as the international front of the working people of latvia interfront and the communist party of latvia, along with its alllatvian public rescue committee, grew. Soviet military takes charge in lithuania crackdown raises. The baltic nations president, dalia grybauskaite, has urged lithu. Lithuania seeks to heal soviet trauma manila standard.
Soviet occupation of lithuania 19441990 true lithuania. The occupation of the baltic states involved the military occupation of the three baltic statesestonia, latvia and lithuania by the soviet union under the auspices of the 1939 molotovribbentrop pact in june 1940. For weeks, a series of strains has been quietly pressing on the us soviet relationship. Mar 09, 2020 seeking justice for victims of the soviet regime to heal historical trauma has become a top priority for lithuania as it marks 30 years since it became the first republic to break away from the ussr. Lithuanian to sue gorbachev for soviet crackdown in vilnius lrt. Jan 14, 1991 the national salvation committee, a faceless group of communist party loyalists, imposed a series of repressive measures on lithuania today after the soviet army, with tanks and machine guns, had. Lithuania opens mass trial for 1991 soviet crackdown. World war 2 in lithuania 1940 1944 the cruelties of first soviet occupation, of a scale not seen in lithuania since the russian empire rule, led to a widespread despise of the regime in less than a year. News lithuania prosecutes ex soviet soldiers over cold war crackdown. Jan 14, 1991 following is a transcript of president bushs statement at the white house today on the soviet crackdown in lithuania. Jan 12, 2011 lithuania commemorates 20th anniversary of soviet crackdown.
Some examples are queen elizabeth and prime minister theresa may of the united kingdom, chancellor of germany angela merkel, and ellen johnson sirleaf the president of liberia and the first female head of state in africa. Lithuania presses charges over deaths in 1991 soviet crackdown. Appearing before the standing soviet legislature today for the first time since the crackdown, mr. Lithuania time line chronological timetable of events. In response, lithuania recalled its ambassador from austria.