Vilnius, August 12 (RFE/RL) -- Prosecutors in Lithuania say they have no grounds to request Latvia to extradite a former member of the special Soviet OMON police force that took part in brutal crackdowns in the capital of Vilnius in 1991.
Jurij Chistjakov, a former Lithuanian citizen, was arrested last week in Latvia on charges of robbery.
But a Lithuanian prosecutor said today that Chistjakov already was questioned in Vilnius in December 1991. He has been cleared of taking part in the January 1991 civil unrest when Soviet-troops, along with some members of the Vilnius OMON special security forces, stormed the capital's television station.
Later that year, OMON units were suspected in taking part in the murder of seven customs officials, policemen and border guards at a border post with Belarus.
Jurij Chistjakov, a former Lithuanian citizen, was arrested last week in Latvia on charges of robbery.
But a Lithuanian prosecutor said today that Chistjakov already was questioned in Vilnius in December 1991. He has been cleared of taking part in the January 1991 civil unrest when Soviet-troops, along with some members of the Vilnius OMON special security forces, stormed the capital's television station.
Later that year, OMON units were suspected in taking part in the murder of seven customs officials, policemen and border guards at a border post with Belarus.