The head of Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT), Rustamas Liubajevas, said that a great deal of inaccurate information has appeared in the public domain regarding the recent incident on the Lithuanian-Belarusian border. According to him, the pretrial investigation launched by the prosecutor’s office should provide answers to the questions that have arisen, LRT reports.
The incident took place in late July near the Kapčiamiestis border outpost in the Varėna Border District. Earlier, Delfi reported that Lithuanian border guards had discovered a tunnel dug beneath the border and set up an ambush. According to the outlet, after several migrants were detained, a group of about 20 people allegedly attacked VSAT officers, allowing the detainees to escape back into Belarus.
“Not all of the information that has been made public and subsequently discussed corresponds to reality. In many cases, it contains a considerable amount of fiction or simply falsehoods. I believe the pretrial investigation will show what actions were taken, how our officers acted, how state border protection was organized, and will provide many answers to these questions. (…) The decision to launch a pretrial investigation is a positive one,” Liubajevas said on LRT Radijas.
VSAT had confirmed the discovery of the tunnel and the escape of the irregular migrants but did not confirm reports that officers had been attacked. Liubajevas again stated that the service had found no evidence of an attack on border guards.
“I can say that I have personally spoken with the officers. I can confirm that none of them was injured, none suffered psychological trauma during the incident, and the version they described differs somewhat from the one presented in the media and discussed publicly,” he said.
“It is very important that our civil society also critically assess information that is sometimes unverified and which, I believe, can undoubtedly discredit not only the State Border Guard Service as a whole but also the state’s ability to maintain public order. I think that sooner or later this issue must be discussed — what responsibility may lie with those who, intentionally or unintentionally, seek, so to speak, to influence public opinion regarding the state’s ability to ensure security,” Liubajevas added.
According to Liubajevas, border guard officers acted “correctly, having assessed the full range of risks that existed at the time.”
He added that attacks on Lithuanian border guards are rare, although resistance from border violators and smugglers is encountered fairly often.
“When it comes to attacks, such incidents are indeed rare. But as for resistance, migrants, and not only migrants but also smugglers, quite often refuse to comply with the lawful orders of our officers, resist them, and force our personnel to use both special equipment and physical force,” he said.
Liubajevas stressed that attempts to cross the border through tunnels have become more frequent recently, with more than 10 such cases recorded since January.
The previous day, Lithuania’s prosecutor’s office expanded and reclassified the investigation launched after the July 27 incident. It is now being conducted under articles related to preparing to commit a crime and the illegal transportation of people across the state border. Investigators will also examine the actions of VSAT officers and the accuracy of information published in the media.
