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On Monday, the spokesperson for the Seimas Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen was led by Alvydas Nikžentaitis, Director of the Institute of History, Loreta Skurvydaitė, Dean of the Faculty of History of Vilnius University, Vasilijus Safronovas, Director of the Institute of History of the Baltic Region and Archeology from Klaipėda University and Vytautas Magnus University.
“The current data suggests that the change in the direction of the director general of the center in the summer of 2020 was not driven by the academic opinion of scientists, but by a politicized approach to sensitive and socially disruptive past events, ignoring basic criticism. from historical sources, “they said.
Visible Efforts to Restrict the Freedom of LGGRTC Investigators
According to historians, efforts are being made to restrict the freedom of LGGRTC researchers, to subordinate their research to the spread of ill-founded ideas, and to turn the institution itself into a citadel of a primitive information war.
The letter notes that this leaves or dismisses highly qualified professionals at the center, “reducing the institution’s ability to competently perform the assigned tasks.”
“Given this, the signatories of this letter declare that in the current circumstances they do not see opportunities to continue cooperating with LGGRTC and distance themselves from the statements of non-professionals who represent it,” the speech reads.
On Monday, M. Sirutavičius, Head of the Department of History at Vytautas Magnus University, told BNS that he had signed this appeal in response to the situation at the Genocide Center, as he knows the specialists working there and listens to their stories. .
They are under some pressure, it is no secret – said M. Sirutavičius.
“They are under some pressure, it is no secret,” he said.
According to M. Sirutavičius, the termination of cooperation to resolve the situation is mentioned.
The researchers call on the authorities responsible for supervising the Genocide Center to take the necessary measures as soon as possible to restore the trust of the academic community in this institution.
“We believe that this would contribute not only to the consideration of the issue of the manager’s responsibility and competence, but also to the reduction of the political control of the LGGRTC by abolishing the public council that now operates in the center,” the authors of the letter. said.
They also propose the creation of a scientific council at the Genocide Center, in which the country’s academic institutions conducting historical research would delegate their representatives.
On Tuesday, the president of Seimas plans to meet with several LGGRTC employees and discuss the situation.
Photo by Lukas Balandus / 15min / Adas Jakubauskas
Last week, the news portal lrt.lt reported that some of the researchers from the Genocide Center approached the general director of the institution Adas Jakubauskas and the leaders of the Seimas, saying that after the change of direction of the center, the investigation was it ideologized and politicized. .
It is noted that the management of the LGGRTC Center encourages the public to participate in the “defense of history” and the “memory wars”, in addition to making irresponsible and biased statements and interviews on behalf of the Center.
Staff also expressed concern that a tense emotional climate prevails in the center, leaving seasoned historians at work due to pressure from management.
Following the resignation, Vidmantas Valiušaitis, Acting Adviser to the Director General, announced his resignation. According to the staff of the Genocide Center, a special position was created for him.
In June last year, A. Jakubauskas, president of the Union of Tatar Communities of Lithuania and professor at Mykolas Romeris University, was appointed General Director of LGGRTC.
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