A migration incident that occurred on the Lithuania-Belarus border in late July continues to yield new details. According to media reports, migrants tried to drag a Lithuanian border guard into Belarusian territory, and he was injured in the ensuing confrontation.
Officially, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service reported the discovery on July 26 of a tunnel that migrants had been trying to dig under the border barrier. However, media reports later said a confrontation had taken place between border guards and migrants. Lithuanian officers detained several people, but another 20 people then emerged from the tunnel, freed their companions and fled into Belarusian territory.
Interior Minister Martinas Katelinas said he had previously been officially informed about the above-mentioned border incident, but only that the digging of the tunnel had been prevented. An internal investigation into the actions of the State Border Guard Service was subsequently launched. The head of the State Border Guard Service, Rustamas Liubajevas, acknowledged that he had failed to give the incident due significance and had indeed provided the minister with general information.
Now, Lrytas, citing a source, reports that the confrontation between the migrants and border guards was more serious. The migrants tried to drag one of the border guards into Belarusian territory. He managed to fight them off but was injured and is in hospital.
Vitalijus Jagminas, chairman of the Vilnius District Trade Union of Investigative Officers, confirmed to the publication that he had information about one of the participants in the incident being on sick leave.
The publication reports that the border service leadership tried to conceal the true nature of the incident by putting pressure on officers, including by instructing them on how to describe the incident.
Service representative Lina Laurinaityte declined to comment on the new information, citing the secrecy of the investigation. A pre-trial investigation into the illegal crossing of the state border was launched on July 27.
