Last Friday Prosecutor General’s Office upon failure to collect sufficient data grounding primary suspicions closed the part of the pre-trial investigation in respect of crimes committed by the Soviet partisan squad during the WWII which was related to Yizthak Arad.  Part of pre-trial investigation was closed because only the data confirming the fact of the crime was received. The decision of the prosecutor states that after making use of all the possibilities of pre-trial investigation the collected data is insufficient to bring the criminal case in respect of Y. Arad before the court.

Pre-trial investigation conducted by the officers of the Pre-trial investigation Division, State Security Department, was initiated in May 2006 after the notification of the Director General of the Genocide and Resistance Research Center of Lithuania was received. During investigation 83 persons were questioned as witnesses, 14 of them were acknowledges as victims. None of the interviewed persons confirmed knowing anything and being able to witness about involvement of Y. Arad in the criminal act.

During investigation the conclusions by the Doctor of Humanitarian Sciences (expert-historian) we received indicating that in his book Y. Arad just like other Soviet partisans gave prominence to the activities of his own, left factual mistakes. Moreover, during pre-trial investigation further stories of persons who were allegedly involved in the criminal act together with Y. Arad was not established. „Due to the said reasons part of pre-trial investigation in respect of Y. Arad was closed “, – concluded Mr. G. Jasaitis, Deputy Prosecutor General.

Prosecutor General’s Office requests the society for assistance. People who can give evidence or have important information about the members of the partisan squad “Vilnius” which was active in the Švenčionys region and involvement thereof in the penal measures against the civil residents of Girdėnai village and other villages of the Aidutiškis district, Švenčionys Region, as well as about activities of NKVD, people’s protectors during elimination Lithuanian partisans, exile of civil residents are requested to provide such information to the Special Investigations Division, Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania.

Regarding the fact that the rest part of pre-trial investigation continues, no more information about it shall be provided.

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