Today, Human Rights Monitoring Institute has distributed a public appeal to the Prosecutor General to initiate pretrial investigation into Lithuania’s participation in the Extraordinary Rendition Program by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The Institute has expressed its concern about the lack of initiative from the Office of the Prosecutor General in investigating the presumed criminal acts committed in the territory of Lithuania while the country had taken part in the Program.
The letter stresses that the office of the Prosecutor General – regardless of action or inaction of other state institutions – has, in fulfillment of its constitutional function, to initiate investigation into alleged criminal acts. Efficient pretrial investigation is particularly important in cases of alleged criminal acts against the State constitutional order and violations of international law regarding prohibited treatment.
Human Rights Monitoring Institute has reminded that in accordance with international legal obligations in the case of the well-founded presumption that a violation of fundamental human rights occurred, competent State institutions of Lithuania have to atted to their positive duty to conduct an efficient pretrial investigation in order to identify perpertrators, determine personal guilt
See the full text of the public statement (in Lithuanian) here.
© 2012 Human Rights Monitoring Institute