The Lithuanian Prosecutor's Office has served three militants from the "Donetsk People's Republic" with a notice of suspicion over the murder of Lithuanian documentary filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravičius in Mariupol. This was stated by Lithuanian Prosecutor General Nida Grunskene during a joint briefing of the prosecutors general of the member countries of the Joint Investigation Team for the investigation of serious international crimes in Ukraine (JIT) on the sidelines of the United for Justice conference, reports UNN correspondent.
According to the Prosecutor General's Office, this is the first time Lithuania has reported war crimes suspicions under investigation by the JIT.
In February of this year, three soldiers from the unrecognized Donetsk republic were recognized as suspects in the murder and inhuman treatment of people. At the beginning of the war in Mariupol, a Lithuanian filmmaker who helped Ukrainian civilians flee Mariupol was killed. This director was detained and killed. So far, three suspects have been identified and work continues to identify other suspects
According to her, they have been recognized as suspects.
"Other actions are currently being taken to bring the cases against these people to court," Grunskene said.
Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin also commented on the case of the murder of a Lithuanian civilian.
"Three pro-Russian militants are suspected of killing a Lithuanian citizen. A civilian who did not take part in hostilities in any way. Inhuman torture, which included beatings, stabbings, bone fractures, and mock executions, led to his death," Kostin said.
Kostin emphasized that the identification of the suspects in this brutal murder is an important evidence that even when war crimes are committed in the occupied territories, the perpetrators will not escape justice.
Addendum
In April 2022 it was reported that Lithuanian documentary filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravičius died in Mariupol, surrounded by Russian occupiers.