Concerns on alleged CIA prison in Lithuania reemerges
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E-mail Xinhua, December 11, 2014
Lithuanian officials expressed their willingness to once again examine allegations on possible detention center of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) within Lithuanian territory on Wednesday.
Reactions in Lithuania emerged after the U.S. Senate published a report about CIA tortures of suspected terrorists in secret detention centers. While the report doesn't reveal particular countries where those detention centers had allegedly existed, human rights activists argue that such detention centres had been established in Lithuania in 2005-2006.
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite emphasized that Lithuanian law enforcement authorities should examine the information published by the U.S. Senate.
"If the information proves correct, Lithuania will have to take the responsibility," said Grybauskaite in a statement.
Two years ago Grybauskaite said that Lithuania had made everything regarding the allegations in political field but not in legitimacy. Grybauskaite then said that investigation could be renewed in case Lithuania receives additional information from the United States.
The Prosecutor General's Office has already carried out two investigations associated with allegations on possible CIA prison in Lithuania.
The first probe on possible illegal detention was launched in 2010 and suspended in 2011.
According to Irmantas Mikelions, chief prosecutor of the Office's Organized Crimes and Corruption Investigation Department, currently the office is carrying out an investigation on possible human rights violations in such detention centers. On the eve of the Senate report, Mikelionis revealed prosecutors will address U.S. authorities to provide the whole information.
"Of course, it would be interesting to get the whole Senate report not in depersonalized form as well," Mikelionis was quoted as saying by business news web vz.lt.
According to Mikelionis, Lithuanian prosecutors had earlier tried to get legal assistance from the United States but Washington didn't provide the help.
Algirdas Butkevicius, the Prime Minister of Lithuania, argued that the Seimas, Lithuanian Parliament, could discuss the issue and make a political decision on whether to continue the investigation on possible CIA detention center in Lithuania.
"There will be a discussion at the parliament and I hope that the parliament continues the investigation," said Butkevicius to Lithuanian media.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius has expressed his concerns that the report could trigger a rise in terrorist activity.
"In general, this report will, with no doubt, spark a flare, raise tension," said Linkevicius in an interview with the national broadcaster LRT.
"It will undoubtedly be a pretext for a rise in terrorist activity," he added.
Guesses on alleged CIA prison in Lithuania emerged in 2009 and led to a parliamentary investigation in late 2009. The investigation later identified two objects near capital Vilnius where detention premises could have been equipped.
According to the parliamentary investigation, there were a few plane flights to Lithuania associated with CIA. The investigation didn't find out if there were any suspected "terrorists" brought to Lithuania.
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