The Lithuanian Prosecutor General’s office received a response from the Russian Prosecutor General’s office to the request sent by Lithuanian prosecutors for legal assistance in the criminal proceedings of Andrei Laktionov, Cheslav Mlinyk, and Aleksandr Ryzhov, who are suspected of murdering workers of the Medininkai customs checkpoint and attempting to murder another customs officer, reported alfa.lt on 6 September.
The Russian Prosecutor General’s office was also asked to deliver the court decision to the suspects, to explain rights, to offer to testify about the details of the allegations with the defense attorneys, and to invite them to Lithuania to participate in the process.
In their response, the Russian prosecutors stated that all suspects are citizens of the Russian Federation. According to the Russian criminal process, the interrogation of Russian nationals who have committed crimes in foreign countries and later returned back to Russia, is only possible with an order to take over the prosecution of the criminal case.
After the evaluation of the response from the Russian Prosecutor’s office, it is clear that Lithuanian prosecutors completed all requirements set by the Code of Criminal Procedure (Article 187) and delivered the court decision to recognize these people as suspects to the foreign central liaison office. According to Lithuanian legislation, this action is treated as notice given to the suspect.
The prosecutors of the Lithuanian Republic will perform other actions intended by the criminal process and will make a decision about the transmission of the Medininkai criminal case to the court with the absence of Laktionov, Mlinyk, and Ryzhov.
There is an ongoing international search for all three suspects.
Translated by Agnė Štengerytė
Edited by Jennifer Virškus
