A very unusual courtroom: Lileikis arrived
shortly before 9 o’clock in a minivan, accompanied by two lady
assistants. He wore a grey suit and a thick medical neckband supporting
his head. His helpers placed him in a wheelchair and carried him up the
stairs in the court building, surrounded by journalists with cameras. In
the court room, apart from about 30-40 journalists and Joel Lion from
the Israel embassy to the Baltics, there were representatives of the
LNSVS -Lithuanian Party of Nationalsocialist Unity (Lithuanian Nazi
Party, not officially registered as such) with their leader Mindaugas
Murza, and Petras Cidzikas from the association of former political
prisoners with some supporters. There were no representatives of the
Lithuanian Jewish community.
Strange Priorities
Immanuel Singer (Immanuelis Zingeris) head of
presidential Historical commission and Seimas (Parliament member)
preferred holding a speech on a confernce of the Lithuanian Center for
Research of Genocide and ressistance, an institution mainly oocupied on
investigation of Sovjet crimes. The Center published statements that are
seen by Historians, such as the top scientists for Jewish History in the
Baltics, Prof. Dov Levin, as blantant Historic Revisionism.
The procedure
There was plenty of time to take pictures and
film in the court room before the three judges came in. Some formalities
took place - the participants were presented, one member of the forensic
medical commission was sworn as a witness, Lileikis, his lawyer, and the
prosecutors were asked if they objected to the composition of the
judges’ committee, and Lileikis was asked about his personal data and
told about his rights. It was agreed that the session could be held
without participation of the afflicted. Two major witnesses could not
arrive to the trial; one of them had passed away, the other, Kazys
Gimzauskas, Lileikis’ former deputy at the Security police, was too ill,
it was claimed. The documents concerning Gimzauskas were transferred to
Prosecution last week. A trial is not very realistic in his case.
During the entire session, people crossed the
room, doors clapped, and the atmosphere reminded a train station rather
than a solemn session. The judge did not seem to care if anyone could
understand what he or the other participants said. The only exception
was made for Lileikis himself, who apparently has difficulties to hear.
Each word was repeated into his ear by one of his helpers.
Manifestations
of Lithuanian Nationalists in courtyard, accusing the Jews of
Genocide...
Manifestationen von litauischen Extremisten im Gerichtsaal, die
Juden des Völkermordes
bezichtigen... |
|
LILEIKIS SPEAKS
Lileikis made a statement of a few minutes,
which he apparently had prepared beforehand. In an almost unhearable
voice, but in coherent sentences and quite firmly, he said he had worked
for Lithuania for all his life, and was „absolutely innocent“ of crimes.
He finished with a quotation from the Pater noster, saying „God’s will
may be, in Heaven and on Earth.“ In spite of his physical weakness,
Lileikis did not seem afflicted mentally at all. Then the session was
interrupted for 30 minutes and Lileikis wheeled out to give him some
medical first aid.
Manifestations of Neo Nazis and
Ultranationalists in court
Meanwhile, the journalists had plenty of time
and opportunity to film, photograph, and interview the representatives
of the association of former political prisoners, and Mindaugas Murza,
the Neo-Nazi leader (While the judges and advocates were present, use of
cameras and dictaphones was not allowed. But the main things happened
without their participation anyway. People attended the juridic process
without expecting to hear anything new, but they showed a vivid interest
as soon as the judges went out, some of them to present themselves,
others to transport their ideas out into the public.) A couple of
pale-faced young men (from the Lithuania Minor council) showed a poster
titled „50 years since the genocide in Lithuania Minor“. Cidzikas had
another poster with him, but the police hindered him to show it in
public. - Cidzikas and his supporters confirmed Lileikis had committed
no crime and even rescued one Jew (Shifra Grodnikaite; they had brought
xerocopies of the recent article in „Valstieciu laikrastis“, see related
articles in Lietuvo Rytas). Murza avoided to say how many of his men had
come to the session, but expessed his happiness that no one had hindered
them to come this time (see reports in LR). The reporters filmed and put
everything down dutifully.
When Lileikis returned to the court room, the
judges had not re-entered yet. He said something to one of his
accompanying ladies, and was wheeled out without public comment, but
again surounded by the clicking and humming of the cameras.
In the second part of the session, the judges
announced Lileikis had been taken to hospital as first aid was not
possible in the court rooms. Lileikis had complained about pain in the
heart; the medicine he had been given had proven effectless.
The judge read the list of Lileikis’
diseases, and reminded that any stress situation could lead to a
condition dangerous for his life. Then the member of the medical
commission, Dr. M., was asked what had caused the change in Lileikis’
condition, making him unfit to continue. The answer was that the cameras
and the fuss in the court room had upset the patient and led to a stress
situation.
Health
condition as obstacle for the trial
Matuiza asked why the conclusions of the new
medical expertise (which in principle allowed Lileikis to take part in
the sessions) differed from those of the two 1997 expertises although
Lileikis had not been examined anew. Dr. M. explained that among the
numerous diseases it was only the heart diseases which could cause
danger for his life; apart from that, the diseases Lileikis suffered
from did not hinder him from testifying. So the different expertises
based on the same data but came to different conclusions. The expert of
forensic medicine said Lileikis’ condition was neither worsening nor
improving constantly and impossible to foresee. The last two questions
by Algirdas Matuiza were if today’s stress situation was the cause of
Lileikis’ worsened condition, and whether the physicians’ commission
would feel responsible if Lileikis died. Both questions were answered
with yes.
The session ended shortly after 10 o’clock.
The judges declared that Lileikis would be examined in hospital and
scheduled a new meeting on Monday, 9 November, 9 a.m. to hear the report
on Lileikis’ state of health. Then they left. Remaining journalists and
representatives were asked to clear the room for the next session, which
was to take place shortly afterwards.
The Farce in the Lileikis case goes on.
Statement of Efraim Zuroff, head of
Wiesenthal center in Jerusalem: The statement given by Lileikis today,
that all his actions stemmed from Lithuanian patriotism, and all his
life he has served only the cause of Lithuania, "it should be obvious to
the Lithuanian authorities how important it is for their country`s
future that such "patriots" be tried and punished in a Lithuanian court
of law. Their failure to do so will have serious implications for
Lithuania`s future and the hopes to fully integrate into democaratic
Europe, states Efraim Zuroff, head of Wiesenthal Center in Jerusalem.
SLW
for haGalil.com
Directly from Vilnius
Reports on the Lileikis Trial: Mirror of
Lithuanian Press
Im Archiv:
Weitere Meldungen