Mykolas Burokevicius
Encyclopedia
Mykolas Burokevičius is a communist political leader in Lithuania
. After the Communist Party of Lithuania
separated from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
(CPSU), he established alternative pro-CPSU Communist Party of Lithuania in early 1990, and led it as the First Secretary of Central Committee until its ban in 1991. He was the only Lithuanian to serve in the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee
, and did so from 1990 until its ban in 1991.
during its first session in March.
On 11 January 1991 the pro-CPSU CPL sent an ultimatum to the Government of Lithuania, ordering it to comply with USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev
's public requirement that the Supreme Council would immediately reinstate the legal force of the USSR and Lithuanian SSR
Constitutions. The requirement was voiced one day earlier. The party added that failing that it might create the "Lithuanian National Rescue Committee" , "which would take care of the matters of the future of the LSSR" - and eventually did so. During its lifetime, the party established several organizations meant to be alternative ministries.
The Soviet Army assault on the Vilnius TV tower and station
on January 13, 1991 followed, during which 14 people were killed. During the period of 11 to 19 January 1991, the pro-CPSU party also made five more public declarations urging the forceful overthrow of the Government and other authorities of independent Lithuania. Burokevičius took part preparing those declarations.
case on 22 August 1991. He was eventually arrested on January 15, 1994 in Belarus
(on Lithuanian orders). He spent the next five years under arrest awaiting sentence. In August 1999, he was sentenced in Vilnius
to 12 years' imprisonment for organizing murders and grievous bodily harm and also for establishing organizations which intended to overthrow the state. He finished the sentence and was released on January 13, 2006.
On January 5, 2006, the European Court of Human Rights
declared admissible Burokevičius' case against Lithuania on three counts of possible Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms violations and joined it with two other cases against Lithuania for its January Events lawsuits (Juozas Kuolelis and Leonas Bartoševičius).
Specifically, the court examined whether Lithuania violated these articles of the convention:
In 2008, the Court delivered judgment deciding that no violations took place.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. After the Communist Party of Lithuania
Communist Party of Lithuania
The Communist Party of Lithuania was a communist party in Lithuania, established in early October 1918. The party was banned in December 1926.-History:...
separated from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
(CPSU), he established alternative pro-CPSU Communist Party of Lithuania in early 1990, and led it as the First Secretary of Central Committee until its ban in 1991. He was the only Lithuanian to serve in the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee
Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Politburo , known as the Presidium from 1952 to 1966, functioned as the central policymaking and governing body of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.-Duties and responsibilities:The...
, and did so from 1990 until its ban in 1991.
Political activities
His party's political programme stated that one of its goals was to maintain Lithuania as part of the USSR. No members of Burokevičius' party were elected during the Supreme Council of Lithuania elections on 24 February 1990. The Supreme Council declared reinstantment of Lithuania's independenceAct of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania
The Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania or Act of March 11 was an independence declaration by the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic adopted on March 11, 1990...
during its first session in March.
On 11 January 1991 the pro-CPSU CPL sent an ultimatum to the Government of Lithuania, ordering it to comply with USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
's public requirement that the Supreme Council would immediately reinstate the legal force of the USSR and Lithuanian SSR
Lithuanian SSR
The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Lithuanian SSR, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union...
Constitutions. The requirement was voiced one day earlier. The party added that failing that it might create the "Lithuanian National Rescue Committee" , "which would take care of the matters of the future of the LSSR" - and eventually did so. During its lifetime, the party established several organizations meant to be alternative ministries.
The Soviet Army assault on the Vilnius TV tower and station
January Events
The January Events took place in Lithuania between January 11 and 13, 1991 in the aftermath of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania. As a result of Soviet military actions, 14 civilians were killed and more than 1000 injured...
on January 13, 1991 followed, during which 14 people were killed. During the period of 11 to 19 January 1991, the pro-CPSU party also made five more public declarations urging the forceful overthrow of the Government and other authorities of independent Lithuania. Burokevičius took part preparing those declarations.
Lawsuit
Burokevičius was indicted by Lithuanian prosecutors as a suspect in a criminal with regard to the January EventsJanuary Events
The January Events took place in Lithuania between January 11 and 13, 1991 in the aftermath of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania. As a result of Soviet military actions, 14 civilians were killed and more than 1000 injured...
case on 22 August 1991. He was eventually arrested on January 15, 1994 in Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
(on Lithuanian orders). He spent the next five years under arrest awaiting sentence. In August 1999, he was sentenced in Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
to 12 years' imprisonment for organizing murders and grievous bodily harm and also for establishing organizations which intended to overthrow the state. He finished the sentence and was released on January 13, 2006.
On January 5, 2006, the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
declared admissible Burokevičius' case against Lithuania on three counts of possible Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms violations and joined it with two other cases against Lithuania for its January Events lawsuits (Juozas Kuolelis and Leonas Bartoševičius).
Specifically, the court examined whether Lithuania violated these articles of the convention:
- Article 6 - i.e. spent more than a "reasonable time" awaiting court proceedings
- Article 7 - i.e. sentenced a person for actions which were not crimes at the time under Lithuanian law (Burokevičius holds that Lithuanian state came into existence only after the Soviet coup attempt of 1991Soviet coup attempt of 1991The 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt , also known as the August Putsch or August Coup , was an attempt by a group of members of the Soviet Union's government to take control of the country from Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev...
, and cannot apply its judiciary system for earlier events) - Articles 9, 10 and 11 and 14 (Burokevičius and others claim that they had been unjustly punished in the exercise of their beliefs as communists, their legitimate work as journalists, their right of association with other individuals, and their support for the idea of Lithuania's continuing membership of the USSR during the politically turbulent times of 1990-1991)
In 2008, the Court delivered judgment deciding that no violations took place.