[ad_1]
At the end of March 2019, the Vilnius Regional Court, which heard the case on January 13, sentenced the former Soviet officer to seven years in prison, which he began serving.
As the term of the sentence also includes the time that Mr. Melis has spent in custody, since mid-March 2014, he will have already served the entire sentence imposed on him this Thursday.
Following appeals, the Jan. 13 case was taken up by the Court of Appeals, whose decision is due to be published this month.
In the complaint, the prosecutors ask Mr. Melis to be sentenced to a cumulative sentence of ten years in prison, and also ask the court to extend his detention to ensure that said sentence is carried out if the prosecutors’ arguments persuade the court. .
According to prosecutors, Melis is a foreign citizen and may be released from more severe punishment.
The convicted man himself and his defense attorney do not agree with the prosecutors’ complaint and ask that he be fired or placed in preventive detention.
Mel was arrested in March 2014 while crossing the state line.
The convict himself admits that in January 1991 he was in one of the tanks when the Soviets stormed the Vilnius television tower. According to him, in accordance with the order of the regiment commander, three empty shots were fired from the tank.
The January 13 case was opened by the Court of Appeal in mid-September last year.
A total of 61 appeals were received in the case, with the decision of the Court of First Instance being challenged by prosecutors, victims and 59 attorneys representing convicted persons.
Lawyers representing the convicted are seeking the acquittal of the defendants, at which point prosecutors demand harsher penalties and retraining of crimes and compensation for property damage: more than 11 million. euros.
Ona and her son Robertas, wife of Apolinaras Juozas Povilaitis, who died during the events of January, have filed two civil lawsuits for non-pecuniary damage, a total of 270 thousand. euros.
At the end of March last year, the Vilnius Regional Chamber of Judges sentenced a total of 67 citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine to between four and 14 years in prison for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Among those convicted is former Soviet Defense Minister D. Jazov, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the court in absentia. He died last February.
Vladimir Uschopchik, former commander of the Vilnius garrison of the Soviet army, was also sentenced to 14 years in prison, and M. Golovatov, former head of the KGB Alpha group, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Melis is one of the two convicts involved in the process. Former Soviet officer Gennady Ivanov, who was sentenced to four years in prison, also attended the meetings.
Most of the other citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine have been sentenced in absentia because Russia and Belarus refuse to extradite them.
On the night of January 13, 1991, 14 people were killed when Soviet troops stormed the Vilnius television tower and the Radio and Television Committee building.
The Soviets attempted to overthrow the legitimate government of Lithuania by military force, which declared the country’s independence from the Soviet Union on March 11, 1990.
It is not allowed to publish, quote or reproduce the information of the BNS news agency in the media and on websites without the written consent of the UAB “BNS”.
[ad_2]
