Baltic News Service - 03.11.2004

 

 

 

Lithuanian parliament censures anti-Semitism at Restoration of Independence Day meeting

Vilnius (BNS) -- Speaking at the solemn parliamentary meeting on the occasion of Restoration of Independence Day, Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas and former parliamentary chairman Vytautas Landsbergis censured the anti-Semitic statements in the media.

"I believe that such anti-Semitic attacks heard in Lithuania during the past several weeks does little honor to our country, the parliament, the government and the entire legislative system," said Brazauskas.
 
Landsbergis, a Conservative MP, stated that the anti-Semitic raid in "two Lithuanian tabloids" demonstrated "the Nazism Europe has not seen since the times of Hitler." "The attack aims to taint Lithuania on its twofold holiday -Restoration of Independence Day and accession to NATO. We have to tell and show the world this is not Lithuania but anti-Lithuania and a service to Lithuanian enemies," said Landsbergis, a member of the oppositional Conservatives.

The prime minister and the parliamentary chairman addressed the Prosecutor General's Office and the State Security Department with a request to investigate whether publications in the dailies Respublika and Vakaro Zinios instigate ethnic hatred, which carries a criminal liability.
The Prosecutor General's Office in its turn has asked the Journalists and Publishers Ethics Commission to assess the anti-Semitic publications in Respublika.

The commission's conclusions will determine whether a pre-trial investigation will be launched. The panel had to postpone its first meeting this week due to the failure of Tomkus to appear at the meeting. During a meeting with Lithuanian Parliamentary Chairman Arturas Paulauskas earlier this week, Israeli Ambassador Gary Toren stated that every person of solid sense should understand the publications crossed "red lines."