LITHUANIA EXPRESSES PROFOUND CONCERN ABOUT AUSTRIA'S DECISION TO RELEASE A SUSPECTED WAR CRIMINAL
On July 18, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania handed in a note to the Republic of Austria requesting to explain on what basis and why so hastily (in less than 24 hours) the decision was taken to release a former commander of special KGB Unit Alfa Group, the suspect in war crimes, Mikhail Golovatov.
M.Golovatov was detained on 14 July in Austria subject to the European Arrest Warrant issued by Lithuania on 18 October 2010. This person is wanted by the Republic of Lithuania for offences attributed to war crimes and crimes against humanity in the criminal case concerning the events on 13 January 1991. During these events 14 people were killed and around 1000 injured. M. Golovatov was released on July 15 by Austrian authorities and thus was able to leave the Schengen space.Lithuania assesses Austria’s actions with regard to the European Arrest Warrant that has been issued for Mikhail Golovatov as a violation of EU law. On July 18 the President of Lithuania D.Grybauskaitė stated that Austria’s rush in releasing the suspect is politically unjustifiable action that discredits European countries’ cooperation in the legal field.
Lithuanian officials, the people of Lithuania and relatives of the victims of the January 13 events expect that Austria and the whole EU cherishes common values of justice and solidarity.
Pursuit of justice in the 13 January case is a matter of national importance in Lithuania.
In a related developments, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia handed in a note to Austria on July 19. On the same day the Ambassador of Austria in Tallinn was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia over the Austria's decision to release the suspect in the January13 case.
For more information about the Lithuania's reaction to the release of a war criminal suspect in Austria, please visit:
http://old.urm.lt/index.php?1106132802
