U.S. EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER AUSTRIA'S ACTIONS IN GOLOVATOV'S CASE - LITHUANIAN MEDIA (BNS, 28 July 2011)
VILNIUS, Jul 28, BNS - The news on the release of former KGB officer and suspect in the January 13 case, Mikhail Golovatov, has reached Washington as Lithuania's name was mentioned several times at the U.S. Congress, the Lithuanian daily Lietuvos Rytas writes on Thursday.
"Russia has showed disrespect for human rights. Lithuania expected cooperation with Russian institutions looking for justice for people killed on January 13, 1991. Lithuanian authorities demanded extradition of Golovatov, the former commander of KGB stormtrooper unit Alpha. His was briefly detained in Austria but was released without explanations," David Kramer, president of Freedom House, told the U.S. Congress on Tuesday.The expert was invited to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs on democracy and freedom in Eastern Europe. He also mentioned the Golovatov case.
Dan Burton, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on European Affairs, was presented with a copy of a letter to Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, and EU ministers of foreign affairs signed by ministers of foreign affairs of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The letter expresses concern over actions by Austrian institutions.
"We'll look into it closely," Burton promised.
Michael Haltzel of the U.S. Center for Transatlantic Relations said that Austria's decision to release the suspect dealt a blow to the unity of EU member states. Lithuania was praised for its progress over the last 20 years and regional leadership efforts at the two-hour meeting of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Lithuania was outraged by Austria's decision on July 14 to release Golovatov lees than a day after his detention. Suspected of war crimes, Golovatov was commander of Russia's Alpha special purposes unit which stormed the TV tower in Vilnius on January 13, 1991. Fourteen people were killed and more than 1,000 incurred injuries during the night. It was later reported Golovatov had entered the Schengen area, including Finland, several times after the warrant was issued.
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