DISINFO: In 1991 Lithuania needed “sacred victims”
DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS
  • Outlet: sputniknews.lt (archived)*
  • Date of publication: January 13, 2021
  • Outlet language(s): Lithuanian
  • Reported in: Issue 227
  • Countries / regions discussed: USSR, Lithuania
Tags:
January 13 Historical revisionism Conspiracy theory

DISINFO: In 1991 Lithuania needed “sacred victims”

SUMMARY

Lithuania is denying the obvious. It could not recognise truth because during events of January 13, 1991, in Vilnius, it was the provocation of Lithuanian nationalist against people of Lithuania.

These events in Lithuania are interpreted as the arbitrariness of the Soviet army. But in these times Lithuania was not independent of USSR, its independence was not recognised by any other state.

RESPONSE

A recurring disinformation narrative about Independence movement of Lithuania and events of January 13, 1991.

Lithuania proclaimed independence on March 11, 1990. Moscow tried to foil the secession with an economic blockade. When that proved ineffective, Soviet troops still garrisoned in the capital Vilnius, attacked its TV broadcast tower and sole TV station, killing civilians standing as human shields there. The events of January 13, 1991, and the offences committed by the USSR troops have been extensively documented.

The events of January 1991 in Vilnius are a part of history important not only for Lithuania but also for Europe. In her statement, President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen stressed:

“30 years ago, Soviet tanks and military vehicles rolled into Vilnius. There, thousands of demonstrators were gathering near the TV-Tower. A peaceful crowd, with people from all walks of life, who had come to their capital from all parts of their country. They wanted to defend Lithuania's newly won independence. These were ordinary citizens, who strove for self-determination instead of foreign rule. Citizens, who wanted to take their future in their own hands”.

See similar examples of disinformation: American Fascists and local collaborators used the events on January 13. 1991, in Vilnius, to destroy USSR; Lithuanian judges broke the law in the case of January 13th; The first colour revolution in the USSR took place in Lithuania.

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Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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