In May 1980 Father Vladas Bobinas, the pastor of Krosna, who had signed the Memorandum of 45 Baits regarding the abrogation of the consequences of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, was summoned to the Vilnius KGB headquarters for interrogation. Interrogator Markevičius maintained that since the priest had not seen the original copy of the pact, he had no right to sign the memorandum. The Chekist tried to persuade Father Bobinas not to sign such documents in the future.
***
In May 1980 Father Napoleonas Norkūnas, pastor of Rieškutėnai parish, was summoned to the Vilnius KGB headquarters. Interrogator Pilelis questioned the priest as to whether he had signed the Memorandum of 45 Baits. The priest explained that he had not signed it and that his name appears on the memorandum only by mistake (Father Norkūnas actually had not signed the memorandum — Ed.)
Interrogator Pilelis maintained that the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania is published by Father Sigitas Tamkevičius, and that he is supplied with information on the Vilnius Diocese by Fathers Kazimieras Žemėnas, Algimantas Keina, and Bronius Laurinavičius.
***
On July 22, 1980, [Miss] Danutė Keršiūtė, a resident of Vilnius, wrote to the Prosecutor's Office of the Lithuanian SSR, complaining about illegal security police actions.
On June 24 of this year Keršiūtė was interrogated at the Vilnius KGB headquarters. The Chekist J. Marcinkevičius wanted to fingerprint her, but she refused. The police were summoned and drove Keršiūtė to the Spalis District Police Department, where one policeman beat her in the presence of Security Agent Marcinkevičius and Major G. Shemeliov, a policeman. The following day the Spalis District People's Court sentenced Danutė Keršiūtė to fifteen days "for hooliganism." She is alleged to have caused a disturbance at the Security Committee offices by swearing obscenely, etc. In fact, it was Security Agent Marcinkevičius who continually insulted Keršiūtė by ridiculing her personal life.
In her statement, Danutė demanded that the Prosecutor's Office of the Lithuanian SSR prosecute the policeman who had beaten her and also the accomplices to this offense, KGB Interrogator Marcinkevičius and Major Shemeliov; that it reverse the decision of the People's Court; and that it help her in securing the return of Oskaras Milašius's writings, which were confiscated during the search.
***
On June 3 of this year [Mrs.] Janina Bagdonienė, an employee of the Television and Radio Committee, was summoned to the Vilnius KGB headquarters. Interrogator Pilelis berated her for signing a group letter requesting the release of Antanas Terleckas and others who believe as he does. The interrogator demanded that she reveal who had given her the letter to sign.
***
On July 24, 1980, Povilas Buzas's son, Raimondas, was interrogated at the Prienai State Security Police headquarters. The interrogator was Chief Security Committee Interrogator Daugalas from Vilnius. He was questioned about who visits his home, whether his father ever gave him the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, Aušra (Dawn), and other publications to read. Does he know Janulis, Vitkauskaitė, Navickaitė, and others? What does he know about underground activity in Lithuania? There were other similar questions. Raimondas maintained he knew nothing about the publications or the individuals.
According to Interrogator Daugalas, Povilas Buzas's offense was not serious and his punishment would be reduced if he admitted everything. The interrogator suggested that Raimondas talk to his father and ask him to confess everything.
***
On July 24, 1980, Interrogator Daugalas questioned Povilas Buzas's wife, Ona. The interrogator was eager to learn who visited the Buzas family and who left with the underground publications produced there. He questioned her about Father Gražulis, [Miss] Suslavičiūtė, Janulis, [Miss] Vitkauskaitė, and Navickaitė. [Mrs.] Buziene explained that she did not know those individuals and knew nothing about her husband's activities. Daugalas threatened that the government could move the Buzas family from their private home to a government apartment. He said that Povilas had committed a very serious offense and would, therefore, be sentenced to many years in prison.
***
On July 23, 1980, Povilas Buzas's brother, Kazimieras, his sister [Miss] Anele Buzaite, and Pranas Buzas were summoned to the Prienai KGB to see Interrogator Daugalas. They were questioned and harassed in an effort to learn whether Povilas had given them underground publications to read; whom he associated with; whether they knew Janulis; etc.
On July 22 [Mrs.] Ona Katlienė was similarly interrogated.
***
On July 29, 1980, [Miss] Giedre Striokaitė, a student, was summoned to the Vilnius KGB headquarters for interrogation. She was interrogated by Security agent Gavėnas. At the start the interrogator stated that if she refused to answer his questions she would be held for three days or might even find herself in solitary confinement. On the first day the main question was, "Did | Miss] Genovaite Navickaitė frequently visit the apartment of [Miss] Ona Vitkauskaitė?" Striokaitė maintained that she did not even know Navickaitė. Despite this assertion the Chekist Gavėnas noted in the interrogation report that Striokaitė had met Navickaitė at Viktoras Petkus's trial and that Navickaitė used to visit Vitkauskaitė and Striokaitė in 1979. Under the Criminal Code of the Lithuanian SSR, Interrogator Gavėnas committed a crime when he wrote up the report in this way, for which he should receive up to three years in prison.
At the end of the workday, the security agent got a room for the young woman at the Gintaras Hotel so that she could appear again at KGB headquarters the following day. During the next days, July 30-31, Giedrė was constantly questioned about the identity of the man who had dropped in at Vitkauskaitė's apartment in October of last year. Striokaitė insisted that she had not seen anyone. Interrogator Gavėnas called her an insolent, cynical, and hardened state offender who sang (The Reverend — Tr.) Tamkevičius's tune. He continually threatened to have her punished for refusing to testify and for distributing the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania. She would be sentenced to twelve years! The interrogator stated that he had a prosecutor's warrant to arrest her. On the third day of interrogation, Gavėnas became angered because he was unsuccessful and stated he would stop upsetting himself and would hand Striokaitė over to the prosecutor. After again asking whether Giedre had read the Chronicle, Aušra (Dawn), Lietuvių archyvas (Lithuanian archives) and whether she knew who published the Chronicle, etc., he allowed her to return home. He threatened that her behavior would lead to no good and would not defeat the security police and the Soviet system.
* * *
On August 20, 1980, [Miss] Ona Dranginytė, the housekeeper of the Kybartai pastor, Fa ther S. Tamkevičius, was summoned to the City of Kaunas KGB Department. Interrogator Rainys asked who had urged her to write a letter of protest to the Prosecutor's Office of the Lithuanian SSR following a search on April 17. Dranginytė explained that the arbitrariness of the security police encouraged her to write because the items which were confiscated from her were listed by the security police in Father Tamkevičius's search report. Using trick questions, Interrogator Rainys attempted to have her admit that the items confiscated from her, the books and the periodicals, did not belong to her but to the pastor. The interrogation lasted two hours. Following the interrogation, Ona Dranginytė refused to sign the report.
***
On August 20, 1980, [Miss] Brone Vitkauskaitė, the sister of the arrested IMiss] Ona Vitkauskaitė, was summoned to the Kaunas KGB headquarters. Interrogator Rainys asked where Ona Vitkauskaitė had studied and worked, where she had travelled, whether Ona gave her the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania to read, with whom she associated, etc. The security agent threatened that Ona Vitkauskaitė would be sentenced to twelve years for her offense of duplicating the Chronicle.
Following the interrogation, Brone Vitkauskaitė was constantly asked at work (Tuberculosis Dispensary of the City of Kaunas) to write a statement and resign. It appears this was demanded by the security police.
***
On August 29, 1980, the Kybartai Church organist, |Miss| Genovaite Mačenskaitė was interrogated at the Vilnius KGB Committee offices. The interrogation lasted the entire day. Interrogator Gavėnas asked whether Mačenskaitė knew the arrested [Miss] Navickaitė. The woman replied that she knew her. Then the interrogator asked where Mačenskaitė had obtained issue no. 42 of the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, found in her possession during the search. The organist explained that she had found the issue in the church vestibule on the catafalque. Interrogator Gavėnas said that the prisoner Navickaitė stated that she had given Mačenskaitė issue no. 42 of the Chronicle. In addition, she had also brought her four copies of issue no. 42 of the Chronicle and had asked her to give this issue to Father S. Tamkevicms. Mačenskaitė denied this. At the end of tne interrogation, the prisoner Genovaite Navickaitė was brought in for a confrontation, and she, in fact, stated that she had left one issue of the Chronicle with Mačenskaitė (by saying this she had probably wanted to assume all of the blame — Ed.). Even then Mačenskaitė maintained that she had obtained the said issue not from Navickaitė but had found it in church. Neither woman signed the confrontation report. During the meeting Navickaitė stated that she never signs any interrogation reports.
Interrogator Gavėnas was vulgar throughout the entire questioning and was especially nervous after lunch.
During the interrogation Mačenskaitė demanded that the Chekists return her personal money, some 500 rubles, seized during the search.
The money was not returned. The interrogator claimed that the money did not belong to Mačenskaitė.
***
On September 1, 1980, [Mrs.] Terese Petrikienė, a resident of Kybartai, was summoned to the Vilnius Security Police headquarters to see Interrogator Gavėnas. She was charged with giving false testimony during the first interrogation, for which she could be prosecuted. Interrogator Gavėnas wanted her to deny her earlier testimony and say what he wished, promising to burn the first report. He assured her that [Miss] Navickaitė had told the entire truth and now only Petrikienė was lying. The interrogation lasted six hours.
The following day the interrogation continued. The woman was again threatened with a confrontation with Navickaitė. Because, in Gavėnas's opinion, Petrikienė had given false testimony, there was no confrontation. At about 4 p.m. Petrikienė was released. On that same day in addition to Gavėnas, she was interrogated by two security agents.
* * *
On August 12, 1980, Interrogator Jucys, accompanied by a group of policemen and security agents, came to the apartment of Dr. [Miss] Julija Kuodytė (36 Donelaitis St., Kaunas). Not finding her at home, Jucys searched all the other residents' living quarters although the search warrant only named J. Kuodytė.
Confiscated from [Miss] Aldona Nominaitytė:
- 14 photographs
- 4 typewriter ribbons
- the books Eucharistiškas pašnekesys (A Eucharistic conversation), Naktinė adoracija (Night adoration); four copies of Naktinė adoracija namuose (Night adoration at home); Dudko's About Our Hope; Dudko's Conversations; Vienuoliško gyvenimo problemos (Problems of monastic life in Lithuania); etc.
[Miss] Nijolė Cicenaitė's handbag was searched and eight photographs were taken.
***
Found and confiscated from the apartment of [Miss] Aldona Raižytė:
— 8 photographs
— a cassette tape
— a printed appeal to the youth
— a program of monastic studies
— "Malda uz Tevynės laisvę" (Prayer for the homeland's freedom)
— 8 pages of song lyrics
— Švenčiųj Mišių maldos vaikučiams (Holy day mass prayers for children),
— Patarimai kaip laikytis tardymo metu (Advice on now to act during interrogations)
— The books Vytauto Didžiojo mirties 500 sukakčiai paminėti (Commemorating the 500th anniversary of the death of Vytautas the Great), Šviesos akimirkos (Glimpses of light), two copies of Mažųjų maldos (Prayers for children), Vienuolė visa siela (Dedicated nun), Pasaulėžiūros klausimai (Philosophical questions), Šapoka's Lietuvos istorija (History of Lithuania).
Six photographs were confiscated from [Miss! Olimpija Stankunaitė's room.
***
Found and confiscated from [Miss] Genutė Bružaitė's room:
— 8 photographs
— addresses
— 12 pins
— 21 cassette tapes
— a certificate issued to Bružaitė
— 10 tape recorder reels
— a notebook
— one photographic negative
—the books Mano kelias į kunigystę ir patirti išgyvenimai per 5 metus kunigaujant (My road to the priesthood and experiences during five years as a priest), 4 copies of Ar Šv. Raštas teisus (Is the Holy Scripture accurate?), etc.
***
Confiscated from the briefcase of [Miss] Regina Teresiūtė, who arrived during the search:
— 3 photographs
— 16 Vytis pins
— notebooks
— a starter's pistol
— a map of Lithuania
— a photographic negative, etc.
***
— On August 13, 1980, KGB agents searched the apartment of [Miss] Irena Stumbrytė, a resident of Vilnius (52-31 Žirmunai St.). The search was directed by A. Jucys, the interrogator for especially important cases from the Prosecutor's Office of the Lithuanian SSR, and by V. Zedelis. The witnesses were Regina Naiduk and [Miss] Galina Marcinkevičiūtė. The interrogators were assisted by four other officials. The search lasted three hours. Confiscated were:
— two plaster casts (Vytautas the Great and a map of Lithuania)
— 7 cassette tapes
— the books Gyvenimo problemos sprendimas (Pondering the meaning of life), Dabarties sutemose (In the present twilight), Dudko's O našem upovanii (About our state of mind), Įžymiųjų Lietuvių tautos veikėjų Pasaulėžiūra (The world view of important activists of the Lithuanian nation), Psichiatrės patarimai (Advice from a psychiatrist), Znacienije Vladimira Solovjova (Testimony of Vladimira Solovjova)
— the publication Tiesos kelias (The path of truth)
— three notebooks
— the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
— [Miss] Jadvyga Stanelytė's work contract and certificate
— photographs
— picture cards, etc.
While the search was in progress, [Miss] Brone Vazgelevičiūtė came to Stumbrytė's apartment. The security agents were overjoyed to see her and, after summoning more help drove to search her apartment (160-292 Dzerzhinsky St.). Nine security agents conducted the search during which they found:
— many religious books
— a small Japanese tape recorder
— a typewriter
— paper and carbon paper
— about 30 recorded cassette tapes and one unused foreign tape.
An interesting incident: while searching Brone Vazgelevičiūtė's apartment, the agents found [Miss] Elena Šuliauskaitė's papers, and the question arose as to how they had gotten there. Vazgelevičiūtė explained that Šuliauskaitė lives there although she is registered elsewhere. Some of the security agents were doubtful, but one agent assured them that she actually does live there because her letters used to be sent to Milda Street but now come to this address (that means the letters are inspected!).
Vazgelevičiūtė did not sign the search report. The security agents gathered everything and left without leaving a copy of the report.
***
On August 14, 1980, Saulius Kelpša was summoned to the Vilnius Republican Prosecutor's Office. Interrogator Jucys questioned him in connection with the case of [Miss] Gemma-Jadvyga Stanelytė. Stanelytė is charged with organizing a pilgrimage of atonement from Tytuvenai to Šiluva in 1979 without governmental permission (which the government never grants — Ed.).
* * *
On August 29,1980, Father Sigitas Tamkevičius, pastor of Kybartai, was summoned to the Vilnius Republican Prosecutor's Office for interrogation. Interrogator Jucys placed on the table [Miss] Jadvyga Stanelytė's work contract with the Kybartai Parish Council, which Father Tamkevičius heads. The interrogator questioned the priest whether Stanelytė had actually entered into the contract and whether she actually worked for the Kybartai church. Father Tamkevičius confirmed that she actually had (J. Stanelytė is charged with being unemployed and a parasite - Ed.).
***
On September 1, 1980, [Miss]Ona Kavaliauskaitė, residing in Kybartai, was summoned to the Vilnius Prosecutor's Office to see Interrogator Jucys. He asked what type of job she had and who else worked at the Kybartai church. He inquired about a woman named Jadvyga, who used to stoke the Kybartai church furnace. He asked when she did this work; what else she did; when she had seen her last; whether the woman lived in Kybartai; and what was their relationship.
The interrogation lasted one hour.
***
On August 14,1980, [Miss] Regina Teresiūtė (who had visited the apartment of [Miss] J. Kuodytė on August 12 while a search was in progress) was summoned to the Vilnius City Prosecutor's Office to see Interrogator Jucys.
Interrogator Jucys explained that she was implicated in an especially difficult case because she knew the arrested [Miss] Stanelytė. The interrogator informed the young woman of her rights as a witness and told her to sign the report. When she refused to do so or to testify, because she did not know Stanelytė, Jucys began to insult her, calling her abnormal because everyone else trembles in the Prosecutor's Office while she was laughing. Furthermore, he asked her when she had become acquainted with Kuodytė, what congregation she belonged to, etc.
***
On October 9,1980, [Miss] Irena Stumbrytė, a resident of Vilnius, was interrogated regarding the religious literature confiscated from her during a search.
"How did you get the religious literature?" asked Interrogator Jucys.
"I don't remember!"
"You should receive treatment at a psychiatric hospital!" stated the enraged interrogator, displaying his medical "talents."
***
On October 8, 1980, Interrogator Jucys questioned Dr. [Miss] Ona Sereikaitė about the prisoner [Miss] Jadvyga Stanelytė. The doctor did not so much answer questions as inform the interrogator on religious matters.
***
On October 9, 1980, Dr. [Miss] Julija Kuodytė was summoned to the Prosecutor's Office of the Lithuanian SSR for interrogation. Interrogator Jucys questioned her about [Miss] Jadvyga Stanelytė. He asked whether she knew Stanelytė and how she would describe her. Dr. Kuodytė refused to answer the interrogator's questions on the items confiscated in the search, explaining that the search was conducted while she was not at home and that the search report left behind was illegible. Giving these reasons, Dr. Kuodytė refused to testify.
Interrogator Jucys stated that Stanelytė was being charged under Article 199, Paragraph 3 of the Criminal Code of the Lithuanian SSR with organizing or actively participating in group activities which violated the public order. She could be sentenced to three years in prison under this article.
"The case is still pending and already we have a whole corner stacked with new material," lamented Interrogator Jucys (new material in connection with the August 1980 religious procession from Tytuvėnai to Šiluva — Ed.).
***
At 2:50 p.m. on October 1, 1980, at 112-102 Partizanai St. in Kaunas, five individuals, after presenting a search warrant began to search the apartment of Antanas Kalanta (Romas Kalanta's brother). The search was conducted by the Prosecutor's Office employee Remeika. The other members of the search party did not speak. They confiscated Maceina's book Didieji dabarties klausimai (Today's major questions).
* * *
Following Dr. Algirdas Statkevičius's trial during September 11-16, the Prosecutor's Office of the Lithuanian SSR officially warned [Miss] Nijolė Sadūnaitė, Andrius Tučkus, Algirdas Masilionis, [Mrs.] Genute Sakalienė, and Vytautas Bogušis that they had behaved improperly during the trial. They were ordered not to attend other trials.
Tučkus was called a monkey by the Assistant Prosecutor, who threatened to slap his face and jail him for fifteen days.
On September 16, 1980, Vytautas Bogušis was summoned to the Prosecutor's Office, of the Lithuanian SSR to testify in the case of V. Abrutis. Bogušis was severely berated by the Assistant Prosecutor and, therefore, refused to speak with him. Vilutis then became even more enraged, insulted Bogušis' religious beliefs and national convictions and locked him in a cell for one hour. Assistant Prosecutor Vilutis informed Bogušis' supervisor at work that a vehement anti-Soviet individual was working for them. On September 17 Vytautas Bogušis was forced to write a statement that he was resigning of his own free will from his job.
