On May 17, the court satisfied a prosecutor's request and named 20 persons suspects in the case. Another 30 were put on the suspect list on June 10.
All in all, Lithuania wants to prosecute 81 individuals in this case. The suspects include people who held high-ranking positions in the Soviet Ministries of Defense, the Interior as well as the State Security Committee in Lithuania.
Lithuanian prosecutors want these people charged with violating international law and war crimes, including the killing, injury of persons protected under international humanitarian law, prohibited war attacks against civilians and the use of prohibited war measures.
The suspects face from 4 years to life imprisonment.
14 people were killed during an attempt by the Soviet army and special forces to take over the Vilnius TV Tower on January 13, 1991, and more than 1,000 unarmed civilians were injured. Seven police and customs officers who guarded the border of Lithuania, then unrecognized by the Soviet Union, were killed at Medininkai border checkpoint in July 1991.
