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Russian Foreign Ministry regards arrest of Russian citizen in Lithuania

MOSCOW, March 18, /ITAR-TASS/. The Russian Foreign Ministry regards the arrest of a Russian citizen on suspicion of his participation in the events at the Vilnius television tower in 1991 as a manifestation of nursing historic grievances, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich said on Monday, commenting on the arrest at the crossing of the Lithuanian border last week of Russian citizen Yuri Mel on suspicion of his being a participant in the January 13, 1991 events.

“Immediately upon receiving a report on the Russian citizen’s detention, our diplomats in Vilnius contacted the Lithuanian law enforcement bodies, obtained the permission to meet with the arrested person and expressed the readiness to give him legal assistance,” Lukashevich said. “The Lithuanian side was informed that Yuri Mel suffers from a serious chronic disease and is in need of constant medical attention and medicines.”

“We will follow the developments,” Lukashevich said. “We warn the Lithuanian side that politization of what had happened is impermissible and we assess its attitude as nursing historic grievances,” he said.

The Russian embassy in Vilnius continues to give every assistance to Yuri Mel,” the foreign ministry spokesman said.

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