How many people were killed during the January Events in Lithuania in 1991?
Fourteen people died as a result of the January Events. Thirteen Lithuanians were killed by Soviet forces, with most shot and two crushed by tanks. A fourteenth civilian died of a heart attack at the scene, and one Soviet soldier was killed by friendly fire.
When did the January Events take place in Lithuania?
The January Events took place between the 11th and the 13th of January 1991. The most violent confrontations occurred in the early hours of the 13th of January, when Soviet tanks and soldiers attacked the Vilnius TV tower and the Radio and Television Committee building.
What was the Vilnius TV tower attack during the January Events?
In the early hours of the 13th of January 1991, Soviet tanks and armored vehicles surrounded the Vilnius TV tower. Soldiers fired live ammunition into civilian crowds; tanks drove through lines of people. Fourteen people died in the attack, and one Soviet Alfa unit member, Viktor Shatskikh, was killed by friendly fire.
Who was Loreta Asanavičiūtė and what happened to her during the January Events?
Loreta Asanavičiūtė, born in 1967, was a seamstress and the only female victim of the January Events. She died in hospital after falling under a tank at the Vilnius TV tower on the 13th of January 1991. She became the most widely remembered of the fourteen victims.
Which country was the first to recognize Lithuania after the January Events?
Iceland was the first country to formally recognize the Republic of Lithuania after the January Events. On the 4th of February 1991, just three weeks after the attacks, Iceland established diplomatic relations with Lithuania. Foreign Minister Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson had signaled Iceland's intention during a visit to Lithuania on the 20th of January.
What sentences were handed down in the 2019 January Events war crimes trial?
On the 27th of March 2019, the Vilnius District Court found all 67 defendants guilty of war crimes or crimes against humanity. Former Soviet Defense Minister Dmitry Yazov was sentenced to 10 years in prison, Mikhail Golovatov to 12 years, and Vladimir Uskhopchik to 14 years. The Lithuanian Court of Appeal in 2021 increased these terms and awarded non-pecuniary damages of 10.876 million euros to victims.