The last chief of the communist Czechoslovak secret police (StB), General Alojz Lorenc, is to stand trial before a Slovak military court.
Published:
5 June 2000 y., Monday
More than 10 years after the StB was dissolved, Lorenc will face charges of being responsible for the arrests of some 300 dissidents and opponents of the totalitarian regime in 1988-89, as well as destroying a large number of secret documents. Lorenc, accused of abuse of power after the fall of the communist regime and sentenced to four years in prison in October 1992, took advantage of the division of the former Czechoslovakia after the sentence was confirmed on appeal in May 1993 to take refuge in Bratislava, capital of newly-independent Slovakia.
In 1994 the Czech police were refused leave by Interpol to issue an international arrest warrant due to the "political nature" of the matter and from 1995 to 1998 Lorenc benefited from a judicial void preventing his extradition to the Czech Republic.
Only in May 1999 several months after the new government of Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda took power did Slovakia say it was prepared to move against him. In his defence, Lorenc said: "In line with my job, I took certain responsibilities, and under the law I was bound to carry them out."
Šaltinis:
Tasr news agency
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
Taxi driver Santiago Gori found a suitcase in the back of his cab stuffed with the equivalent of 35,000 U.S. dollars.
more »
Today 150 citizens from across the EU met top policy-makers in Brussels to hand over their recommendations on how to tackle the economic and social challenges facing Europe.
more »
These panda cubs playing in a Chinese nature sanctuary are lucky to have seen the light of day. Their pregnant mothers were rescued in the aftermath of last year's huge earthquake.
more »
The clock stands permanently at the time last year's huge earthquake hit the Chinese industrial town of Hanwang. The once-thriving town is now a ruin.
more »
A Spanish punter has won what could be Europe's largest lottery jackpot. The newly wealthy winner beat odds of 76 million to one.
more »
During the draw another five winners of the Danske Bankas monthly Scholarship award (a one off payment to the amount of 250 litas) were announced.
more »
In Mexico City people return to the streets as shops, restaurants and offices reopen their doors after a five day shut down to stem the deadly swine flu outbreak.
more »
The summit comes amid concern about the human cost of the recession in Europe.
more »
Opinion polls in Sweden suggest the Pirate Party could win a seat in June's European elections
more »
The European Parliament wants to make it compulsory for assisting spouses to have social security cover.
more »