On May 6, 1980, [Miss] Nijolė Sadūnaitė received the following telegram from Zurich, Switzerland:
"The International Christian Solidarity sincerely sends you its wishes from its annual conference, which is bein held in Zurich. Delegates and observers from fourteen countries have expressed their solidarity with you in your courageous fight for the freedom of belief and conscience. We will continue to keep you in our prayers and will continue to inform Christians about you. Please remember that we also need your prayers and support in inviting Christians throughout the word to solidarity.
Sincerely,
International Christian Solidarity Delegates,
Zurich, Switzerland"
On July 8, 1980, upon completing her term of exile in Boguchany, Siberia, Nijolė Sadūnaitė received a passport and caught a flight to Vilnius via Riga. On July 9 the airplane had barely touched down at the Riga Airport when the stewardesses ordered all the passengers to prepare their passports and tickets, which were checked by three uniformed policemen as the passengers disembarked. After checking the papers of Sadūnaitė and her companion, the officials explained that there were some uncertainties to be cleared and asked them to step into a car parked by the airplane. Inside were three Vilnius security agents. The Volga reached Vilnius after a five-hour trip. Driving Nijolė directly to her door on Architektai St.. the agents expressed the wish to Nijolė "not to have to meet her again" and released her.
Why was the security police "escort" necessary? So that those who had gone to the Riga and the Vilnius airports with flowers could not greet her; so that the security police could later say that no one in Lithuania awaited or greeted Nijolė.
The news of Nijolė Sadūnaitė's return was quickly announced by various radio stations. People asked one another, "How can we see Nijolė?" Those who met her said, "Thank you, Nijolė, for your love and sacrifice. For six years you inspired the nation and the world; you encouraged everyone not to bow down to lies and force, to be faithful to God and nation." And Nijolė Sadūnaitė would hurriedly say, "Thank you, thank you all for your prayers and support. It was due to your prayers that I was able to bear it all . . ."
