Vilnius City 1^st District Court has imposed a constraint measure – detention – upon the arrested Irish nationals. For one of them this constraint measure has been imposed for a term of 3 months, whereas for another – for that of 2 weeks. Pre-trial investigation has been initiated by Organised Crime and Corruption Investigation Division of Vilnius Regional Prosecutor‘s Office on the grounds of unlawful possession of firearms, ammunition, explosives and explosive substances (Art. 253 Para 2 of Criminal Code (CC)), provision of support to a terrorist group (Art. 250 Para 6 of CC) and smuggling (Art. 199 Para 2 of CC). The investigation is being carried out by the prosecutors of Organised Crime and Corruption Investigation Division of Vilnius Regional Prosecutor‘s Office which is headed by the prosecutor Mr. Irmantas Mikelionis.

The day before yesterday (22 January 2008) the officers of State Security Department of the Republic of Lithuania and special task force of the Ministry of National Defence carried out an international anti-terrorist operation aimed at deterring illegal turnover of arms and explosives. In pursuance of this operation, officers arrested two Irish nationals in Vilnius. They are suspected of an attempt to acquire a large amount of firearms and ammunition in Lithuania, also smuggling of ammunition, arms and explosives in EU countries and provision of support to a terrorist group – Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA).

Prosecutors have not revealed any further information due to ongoing pre-trial investigation.

Yesterday (23 January 2008) the prosecutor Mr. Irmantas Mikelionis, when informing the press about this matter, pointed out: ‚we do not give any data about the identity of the arrestees and we neither confirm nor deny any information presented in Irish press (news portal ‚The Independent‘). I would like to remind you that presumption of innocence remains to be valid as long as pre-trial investigation is being pursued, meaning that a person is considered to be guilty only when his/her guilt has been confirmed by a juridically effective court judgment.’

---

Version in Russian

 

Public Relations Division

Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania

Ph. + 370 266 2366, + 370 6 87 47705