LITHUANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER THANKS HIS LATVIAN AND ESTONIAN COUNTERPARTS FOR SOLIDARITY
On 20 July, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis thanked Latvian Foreign Minister Girts Kristovskis and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Estonia Urmas Paet for very strong and urgent support of the neighbouring countries to the stand of Lithuania regarding a flagrant decision of Austrian authorities to release the suspect in the January 13th case, previously detained under the European arrest warrant.
“Together we must take this opportunity to demonstrate the European community our firm engagement with the principles of justice, rule of law and solidarity pursuing a thorough examination and evaluation of this accident by the relevant European institutions,” reads Ažubalis’s letter to his Latvian and Estonian counterparts.The head of the Lithuanian diplomacy also stressed the necessity to continue our efforts to make the societies of the EU member states more aware about the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Communist regime.
“The persons involved in such crimes cannot avoid the punishment – statute of limitations to the war crimes and crimes against humanity does not apply,” A.Ažubalis said.
On 19 July, Latvia presented a note to Austria, requesting to furnish it with information on legal and any other considerations behind the decision to abruptly release the suspect in the January 13th case. Estonia has also asked Austria to clarify the situation.
On 19 July, Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian foreign ministers sent a letter to European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Viviane Reding and EU foreign ministers expressing concern over the rapidity of the decision of Austrian institutions to release the suspect, a citizen of the Russian Federation Mikhail Golovatov.
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