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Russia to react to Lithuanian court’s verdict under case of January 1991 events

The District Court of Vilnius City earlier announced a verdict on the events of 28 years ago, and charges were brought against 67 citizens of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine

© Valery Sharufulin/TASS

MOSCOW, March 28. /TASS/. Moscow will respond to the verdict of the District Court of Vilnius City for the Russian citizens under the case of the January 1991 events, when 14 people were killed during street clashes and political diarchy, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at Thursday’s briefing.

"We won’t leave it without further reaction," the diplomat stressed.

The District Court of Vilnius City earlier announced a verdict on the events of 28 years ago, and charges were brought against 67 citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Most of the defendants were sentenced to long prison terms in absentia. Reserve Colonel of the Soviet Army Yuri Mel, who was detained in Lithuania in 2014, was sentenced to seven years behind bars, while his brother office Gennady Ivanov, a Lithuanian resident, was sentenced to four years in prison.

The State Duma earlier adopted a statement on the process, calling it "a politically motivated trial," "retributive justice" and an attempt to rewrite history.

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Ukraine Belarus Lithuania

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