Prosecutor transfers migrant incident probe to police on her own initiative

Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė told reporters in Lithuania’s parliament on Wednesday that she had decided on her own initiative to transfer the pre-trial investigation into an incident involving migrants at the Belarusian border to the police, LRT reported, citing BNS.

“To dispel all doubts … I decided that it would be better for another pre-trial investigation institution, currently the police, to conduct the investigation under a prosecutor’s supervision. This is to ensure that it is investigated objectively and that no doubts arise,” she said.

The investigation had previously been conducted by the State Border Guard Service. Its transfer to officers of the Kaunas County Chief Police Commissariat was announced on Monday, August 17, after State Border Guard Service commander Rustamas Liubajevas decided to step down. Grunskienė said that nobody had asked her to transfer the case.

The investigation concerns an incident between border guards and illegal migrants in Lazdijai District at the end of July. It was reported that four guards set up an ambush after a tunnel being dug under the state border was discovered in the territory of the Kapčiamiestis border station.

The guards detained several migrants and handcuffed them, but about 20 other foreigners attacked the officers during the detention. The guards had to flee, while the migrants, including those in handcuffs, escaped to Belarus.

The State Border Guard Service publicly reported finding the tunnel and the migrants’ escape but did not mention the attack on the officers. The Delfi news portal reported the incident, citing sources. Liubajevas repeatedly denied claims that the officers had been attacked, saying the service had been unable to establish that such an incident had occurred.

Last week, the Lrytas portal reported that one officer had suffered minor injuries and that migrants had tried to drag him towards Belarusian territory. According to the portal, the officer is currently on sick leave. Media reports also alleged that Liubajevas had given border guards instructions on what to say about the incident.

The Prosecutor General’s Office told BNS that it had questioned all the border guards involved in the incident but had no information about an officer being injured.