Suspect wanted by Lithuania in 1991 massacre case disappears in Italy

1991 m. sausio 13-oji, A.Petrulevičiaus nuotr.

Kotlerov’s lawyer Renato Musella said he has not heard from the client. The last time he received news from Kotlerov was in July after a court’s hearing.

Conservative MP Audronius Ažubalis, Deputy Chair of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs, said he was aware that the suspect disregarded the imposed remand measure.

“He was placed under house arrest in Italy and was ordered not to leave the country. However, according to my information, he ignored this,” said Ažubalis.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius said the information was being examined.

“We had such signals and are checking the information,” said Linkevičius.

It is not the first time when suspects in 13 January case escape justice. Another suspect, Mikhail Golovatov, had been arrested in Austria but was released soon after.

Ažubalis says such moves are political. According to him, both Austria and Italy have a specific or rather peculiar attitude towards Russia.

The Italian court had to decide over Kotlerov’s extradition by the end of the year.

Fourteen people were killed and hundreds injured when Soviet military units attacked Vilnius TV tower and other objects in the Lithuanian capital in early hours of 13 January 1991.

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