Veryga urges parliament not to delay KGB disclosures

Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union leader Aurelijus Veryga says the public has a right to know about former KGB collaborators and that a decision on disclosing their records should not be delayed, LRT reported.

Speaking to Žinių radijas on Wednesday, Veryga said he was unsure whether parliament would approve the proposal, arguing that a majority had repeatedly opposed disclosure for reasons he found difficult to understand. He described the issue as an unmet public expectation.

Veryga suggested that concerns about the political fallout from publishing names could be behind the opposition. He said the issue had been under consideration for more than 30 years and that those who extended the deadlines should be held accountable.

On Wednesday, the parliamentary Committee on State Administration and Local Authorities was due to continue considering amendments proposed by Remigijus Žemaitaitis, leader of the Nemuno Aušra party. The amendments would make records of former KGB collaborators’ confessions public from January 1, 2028, and repeal a 1999 law governing their registration, confessions, records and protection.

The Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania estimates that the changes could affect about 400 people of working age, who could face a threat if the information were made public. In December, 51 members of parliament voted to approve the amendments at their initial presentation, one voted against and two abstained. The parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defence recommended rejecting the proposal.