The
physicians decided on this conclusion after getting acquainted to the
earlier documents about Lileikis’ health, but without examining Lileikis
himself. The chairman of the commission had earlier mentioned such a
proceeding as possible.
Lileikis’ defender Algirdas Matuiza expressed
his dissatisfaction with the decision: "How can they allow him to
participate in a court session if he lies in bed and cannot help
himself." According to Matuiza, Lileikis cannot get to the court "except
with his bed".
The defenders of Lileikis successfully
created an atmosphere , in which the majority of Lithuanian society
considers Lileikis being a victim rather than one of the greates Nazi
War criminals. The former head of Lithuanian security police is said to
be responsible for about 70.000 victims, mostly jews. The accused has
lost his US-citizenship in 1996. Pressure by US-Justice Ministry and by
Efraim Zuroff, head of Wisenthal Center in Jerusalem led to the trial,
which has been postponed then for several times.
The Vilnius district court had formed the
commission out of five physicians on 10 September and committed it to
carry out an expertise on Lileikis’ health after the accused hadn’t
appeared to the session the day before. Lileikis is 91 years old and
suffers from about 20 diseases, most of which are incurable, and passes
much time in hospital. Lileikis is accused of condemning to physical
annihilation 75 Jews, of whose only one escaped, when he was head of the
Vilnius Saugumas (Security Police) from June, 1941 to July, 1944.
Lileikis categorically denies his guilt.
"The stress of Lileikis is one which his
victims will not be able to share" Efraim Zuroff bitterly states.
SLW/Vienna/Austria
E-mail:
BalticNewsWatch@telewb.at
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