On April 17, 1980, at 10 a.m., twelve security agents under the direction of KGB Lt. Col. Urbonas began a search of the Viduklė rectory quarters of Father Alfonsas Svarinskas. The search warrant was signed by Lithuanian SSR Prosecutor Kairelis and KGB Chairman General Petkevičius. The witnesses — Jonas Ivaškevičius and Laima Rudžionytė — were brought from Raseiniai by the security police. The purpose of the search: to confiscate so-called anti-Soviet literature. The search was ended at 4 p.m.
The following items were confiscated:
— a typewriter
— Tiesos kelias (The path of truth), nos. 1, 9, 11
— 14 cassette tapes
— photocopies of Kontinent (Continent)
— certain documents of the Catholic Committee for the Defense of Believers' Rights.
* * *
That same day security agents directed by KGB Lt. Col. Urbonas searched without a prosecutor's warrant the apartment of [Miss] Monika Gavenaite, located in the Viduklė rectory. Confiscated during the search were:
— a typewriter
— Ateitis (Future), no. 1
— Tiesos kelias (The path of truth), nos. 9, 12.
* * *
A personal search was conducted on Father Gustavas Gudanavičius, whom the security police found at the Viduklė rectory during the search.
Several photocopies of the magazine Kontinent (Continent) were confiscated.
* * *
On April 17, 1980, at 9:30 a.m., a group of security agents (about ten) under the supervision of KGB Interrogator J. Matulevičius arrived at the home of Father Sigitas Tamkevičius, member of the Catholic Committee for the Defense of Believers' Rights, residing in Kybartai at 12 Darvinas St. Presenting a search order signed by State Security Committee Chairman General Petkevičius and Lithuanian SSR Prosecutor Kairelis, they began a search which lasted nine and one-half hours. The Chekists ransacked the pastor's rooms, a maintenance building, the cellar, the doghouse, the attic, and the garden. [Mrs.] Liuda Jakelaitienė, Juozas Mickevičius, and Liuda Garbachiova participated as witnesses. The witnesses were individuals especially chosen by the KGB to assist the security agents during the search.
Confiscated during the search: ten assorted issues of Tiesos kelias (The path of truth); Rūpintojėlis (The pensive Christ), no. 12; the book Arkivyskupas M. Reinys (Archbishop M. Reinys); Gyvenimo menininkė (Artist of life) by K. Cibiras; the book Rusų carų bandymas surusinti Lieluvą (Attempts by Russian czars to Russify Lithuania); copies of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention regarding Discrimination in the Field of Education, the International Pact of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights; a typewriter; unused white paper; carbon paper; magnetic tapes; excerpts from Vatican Radio broadcasts; documents of the Catholic Committee for the Defense of Believers' Rights; etc. Four copies of issue no. 42 of the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania were found in the maintenance building. At the end of the search, Father Tamkevičius himself was searched. The priest refused to sign the search report and protested that Interrogator Matulevičius had included in his report items confiscated from other people who resided in the same building.
Following the search in Kybartai, rumors were circulated that two guns, a bag of money, and a radio transmitter had been found in the pastor's iving quarters.
* * *
On April 17,1980, KGB Interrogator Matulevičius and a group of security agents searched, without a warrant, the apartment of Kybartai resident [Miss] Ona Kavaliauskaitė (12 Darvinas St.) confiscating a typewriter; Aušra (Dawn), no. 19; Lietuvių archyvas(Lithuanian archives), vol. 6; etc.
A personal search was conducted by Vilkaviškis Rayon State Security Committee Inspector [Mrs.] Ona Paunksnienė, who zealously assisted the security agents. That evening, following the search, Ona Kavaliauskaitė was interrogated.
That same day security agents searched, without a prosecutor's warrant, the possessions of [Miss] Ona Dranginytė, a resident of Vilnius, who comes to the Kybartai rectory to help in the kitchen. Confiscated during the search: issues no. 38 and 39 of the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania; Perspektyvos (Perspectives), no. 12; Kareivio Čionkino nuotykiai (The life and extraordinary adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin) by V. Voinovich, etc.
Police Inspector Paunksnienė also made a personal search. Dranginytė was interrogated after the search.
* * *
On April 17,1980, Father Jonas Zubrus, whom security agents found visiting Father S. Tamkevičius, was subjected to a personal search. His luggage was also searched and an address book was confiscated.
* * *
On April 17,1980, security agents searched, without a prosecutor's warrant, the apartment of the late Father Virgilijus Jaugelis (12 Darvinas St., Kybartai). Confiscated during the search:
— Issue nos. 40 and 41 of the Chronide of the Catholic Church in Lithuania
— Tiesos kelias (The path of truth), nos. 1 and 9
— one copy of Khronika tekushchickh sobytij (Chronicle of Current Events)
— many letters, among them letters from the exiled N. Sadūnaitė
— the books, Kaip jie mus sušaude (How they executed us), Bulgakov's Tichije Dumy(Light Meditations), Frank's Duša čeloveka (Soul of Man), Dudko's O našem upovaniy(About our state of mind)
— Vol. 15 of the Lithuanian Encyclopedia, two albums dealing with the Hill of Crosses, etc.
Following the search, Father Jaugelis's mother wrote to the Prosecutor's Office of the Lithuanian SSR demanding that the books, various publications, and manuscripts taken from her son's room be returned.
* * *
On the morning of April 17, 1980, running through gardens, a large group of security agents arrived at the home of [Mrs.] Teresė Petrikienė in Kybartai. One of them carried a metal battering ram. In the room the agents found [Miss] Genovaitė Navickaitė, a resident of Kaunas, and two typewriters. They also found issue no. 42 of the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania and many retyped pages. After the search Genovaitė Navickaitė was arrested and taken to the Vilnius KGB headquarters. The women were stripped during personal searches. The landlady of the house, [Mrs.] T. Petrikienė, was interrogated for two days. The woman explained that she had rented the room to Navickaitė and took no interest in the tenant's activities.
At the present time Navickaitė is in the Vilnius KGB prison: Vilnius, ab/d 17. She is being interrogated by KGB Chief Interrogator V. Balčiūnas.
Genovaitė Navickaitė, daughter of Jonas, was born February 18, 1947, in the village of Ditkūnai, district of Zarasai. She graduated from the Zarasai Secondary School in 1965 and from the Kaunas Home Economics Trade School in 1967. Later she studied at the Kaunas Medical School and was graduated in 1970. She worked at various Kaunas hospitals as a nurse.
* * *
On April 17,1980, KGB Major Daugalas, five Chekists, and Police Inspector [Mrs.] Janulevičienė, searched the home of [Mrs.] Veronika Šulčiuvienė (14 Čepajevas sk., Kybartai), which is where [Miss] Genovaitė Macenskaitė, the organist of the Kybartai church, lives.
[Miss] Aldona Kasparaitytė and Leonas Jakimavičius were called upon to witness the search for anti-Soviet literature as well as technical duplicating apparatus. Confiscated in the search:
— Aušra (Dawn), no. 17
— the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, no. 42
— Patarimai, kaip laikylis lardymo metu (Advice on how to act during interrogations)
— Tiesos kelias (The path of truth), nos. 10 and 11
— Medvedev's Beprotystes klausimas (The question of insanity)
— 16 photographs, poems, notes, white writing paper, carbon paper, [Mrs.] Elena Lapienienė's savings account book no. 055093, all the money, a starter's pistol, and an Erika typewriter, no. 5900161.
The search was begun at 9 a.m. Mačenskaitė was detained at the Kybartai rectory, and the security agents would not allow her to watch the search of her apartment. Following it, Marčenskaitė was interrogated for three hours about where she had obtained the publications discovered during the search. She explained that she had obtained the publications, books, typewriter, etc., from the late Father Virgilijus Jaugelis and had found issue no. 42 of the Chronicle in the church vestibule. Interrogator Daugalas particularly questioned her about Genovaitė Navickaitė, who, in his opinion, is a very great criminal.
On April 18, 1980, at 4:40 p.m., a group of security agents broke into the Bagotoji rectory (Kapsukas Rayon) and, after handing Father Vaclovas Degutis an order, began to conduct a search supervised by KGB Captain Jurkstas, who was assisted by about ten security agents and Kapsukas State Security Committee Inspector [Mrs.] Mikuckienė. [Mrs.] Janina Žilinskienė and [Mrs.] Elena Grabauskienė (both from Kapsukas) witnessed the search.
During the search the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, no. 38; Aušra(Dawn), no. 18; and the book Dabarties kankiniai (Today's martyrs) were confiscated from Father Degutis.
On the second floor of the rectory the security agents found [Miss] Ona Vitkauskaitė, a resident of Kaunas, 226-4 Partizanai St. In her possession they found: an Erika typewriter, the Chronicle, no. 42; and ten copies of twenty-six pages of the Chronicle.
The search was over at 10:30 p. m. Ona Vitkauskaitė was arrested, taken to the Vilnius KGB headquarters, and, as of now, has not yet been released.
Following the search, the pastor, Father Vaclovas Degutis, and his housekeeper, [Miss] Janina Pileckytė, whose apartment was also searched, were interrogated.
Ona Vitkauskaitė was born on April 23, 1935, in the district of Marijampole, the village of Stuomenai. She studied in Marijampole, Rietavas, and Prienai. In 1959 she enrolled in Kaunas City Technical School no. 2 and completed the construction-drafting course. In 1970 she enrolled in the Kaunas Polytechnical School and completed the metalworking course. She worked as a technician.
* * *
At about 4 p.m. on April 18, 1980, a group of security agents broke into the home of [Mrs.] Pranciška Tuomienė and [Miss] Genovaitė Mačenskaitė in Kapsukas, at 3 Dvidešimtmetis St. After checking all the rooms, they handed a search warrant to [Miss] Joana Sukevičiūtė, a minor living in the building, and ordered her to sign it, threatening to take her to Vilnius if she refused. The girl refused. Detained during the search were [Miss] Genovaitė Paliaukaitė, who was visiting the house, and a resident, [Miss] Birutė Briliūtė (a music teacher). The following were confiscated from Birutė Briliūtė during the search:
— an Erika typewriter
— a starter's pistol
— 6 cassette tapes
— R. Medvedev's book Beprotystes klausimas (The question of insanity)
— Father Dudko's Pokalbiai religiniais klausimais (Conversations on religious matters)
— Voinovich's Kareivio Čionkino gyvenimas ir nepaprasti nuotykiai (The life and extraordinary adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin)
— Abiturientai (The graduates), 3 vols.
— SOS iš anapus (SOS from the other side)
— Fabiolė
— Danguolė
The security agents searched not only Tuomiene's room but also the part of the house that belongs to Genovaitė Mačenskaitė. (This was done without a prosecutor's warrant). The agents refused to identify themselves when asked to do so by the residents of the house and did not leave behind a search report. The witnesses assisted the agents in conduct-ing the search. J. Cibulskas was especially zealous and produced as "very dangerous anti-Soviet article" certain items which the agents themselves had brought.
The search lasted seven hours. Birutė Briliūtė and the elderly Elena Babianskaya (who is living temporarily in the building) were stripped during a personal search. Babianskaya's room was searched without a prosecutor's warrant and an Ideal typewriter and several religious books were confiscated. Following the search, Babianskaya was interrogated on the spot by security agent Valaitis. The old woman wrote in her statement tc the prosecutor (April 23, 1980): "It would seem more appropriate to direct the eyes of the security police and the police toward the fight against alcoholics, promiscuous persons, and, especially, those who illegaly make alcoholic beverages, allowing religious believers to live, study, and work in peace, and letting us, old people, to prepare for a happy death."
During the search the security agents insulted and ridiculed the residents of the house. The "witness" Cibulskis, seeing a religious picture, jeered: "What type of pornography is this?" Upon finding on a table a crucifix being prepared for restoration, the security agents jeered: "Why do you keep that bridegroom of yours lying on the table?"
The breeding and conduct of the searchers can be judged by the fact that, although a bathroom exists in the house, they relieved themselves in the heating unit.
* * *
At 7 a.m. on April 28, 1980, three security agents under the direction of Interrogator Rainys broke into the apartment of [Miss] Ona Vitkauskaitė (who had been arrested on April 18) in Kaunas, 226-4 Partizanai St. Two drunks were called in as witnesses. The apartment and the basement were searched withouth a prosecutor's warrant. Vitkauskaitė's personal documents were confiscated. After writing a report, the agents ordered [Miss] Bernadeta Mališkaite, who lives there, to sign it. She refused. They left after one and one-half hours without achieving their purpose and without leaving behind a search report.
* * *
Early in the morning of April 28,1980, security agents commanded by Major Daugalas searched the apartment of [Missl Genovaitė Navickaitė (who had been arrested on April 17) located in Kaunas at 4 Vasuokliai St. Having searched her room and the garage, they did not find anything. They left without leaving a search report.
* * *
On April 8, 1980, Prienai Police Capt. Slibinskas searched the home of Kazimieras Sabaliauskas, living in the village of Pabaliskiai.
Confiscated during the search: religious books — T. Toth's Jaunuolio religija (A youth's religion), K. Naseckas's Šviesos nešėjai (Bearers of light); a copy of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights; a book of sheet music; etc.
Seven individuals conducted the search that lasted an hour and one-half. The KGB, assisted by the police, were looking for religious publications.
* * *
On May 7 and 8,1980, Father Antanas Gražulis, assistant pastor of Prienai, was interrogated by the Vilnius KGB. Interrogator Daugalas questioned whether or not the priest knew the following arrested individuals: P. Buzas, A. Janulis, [Miss] G. Navickaitė, [Miss] O. Vitkauskaitė. The security agent also charged Father Gražulis with helping to edit the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania and providing it with information. Furthermore, he was charged with helping Povilas Buzas construct an Era photocopying machine. The security police fingerprinted the priest and took a sample of his handwriting. Interrogator Daugalas characterized Father Gražulis thus: "Even if you sit him down on a bed of coals, he will still speak and do things his own way .... Sooner or later he'll be caught because he is possessed by the devil."
The interrogator spoke very harshly about the Catholic Committee for the Defense of Believers' Rights, which he threatened would be taken care of: "They are like the Americans: they use other people's hands to rearrange the coals."
Towards the end of Anril the Bagotoji parish pastor's housekeeper, [Miss] Janina Pileckytė, was summoned to the Vilnius KGB headquarters for interrogation. She was questioned about the arrested [Miss] Ona Vitkauskaitė: When did she arrive? Did she bring a typewriter? etc.
* * *
On May 6,1980, [Miss] Giedrė Striokaitė, a student at the medical school, was taken to the Vilnius KGB headquarters for interrogation. Interrogator Balčiūnas questioned her about the arrested [Miss] Genovaitė Navickaitė and about an individual who, according to him, had brought and left Striokaitė forty-three copies of the Chronicle. Interrogator Balčiūnas tried to obtain evidence from Striokaitė by intimidation and leading questions. This KGB interrogator, by using threats, tried to frighten the young student into saying what was useful to the Chekists: "A person could get a beating here." "You will be sitting here tomorrow and the day after if you don't tell the truth." "You will ruin your life." The security agent told Striokaitė that he considered her to be a nun and that he knew her congregation was involved in politics, but that her zealousness would soon disappear after she chopped down some trees in Chuvash. Interrogator Balčiūnas talked especially harshly about the priests Fathers A. Svarinskas and S. Tamkevičius, calling them "hawks." "How much innocent blood have they drunk?" shouted the in-terrogator, imaginging himself the "defender" of the innocent.
After a day's interrogation, Giedre Striokaitė was released but had to present herself the following day to the Vilnius KGB headquarters. She was again questioned about G. Navickaitė, about the Chronicle, etc.
That same day Striokaitė's father, Valentinas, was summoned from Vilkaviškis to the Vilnius KGB offices for interrogation.
* * *
On May 14, 1980, [Miss] Ona Šarkauskaitė, a teacher, was summoned to the Vilnius KGB headquarters for interrogation. Interrogator Rainys questioned her about the arrested [Miss] O. Vitkauskaitė. He asked whether it was she who had given her the Chronicle to read; whether a so-called Antanas — the arrested A. Janulis — had ever come to Vitkauskaitė's apartment; whether she knew P. Buzas; whether the accused [Miss] G. Navickaitė ever visited her? In Rainys's opinion, Šarkauskaitė's friend i Miss] Bernadeta Malilkaitė belonged in the same place with G. Navickaitė and O. Vitkauskaitė — in prison.
Interrogator Rainys admitted that the arrested women, O. Vitkauskaitė and G. Navickaitė, never signed their transcripts. During the interrogation Šarkauskaitė refused to sign anything.
* * *
On May 15, [Miss] Bernadeta Mališkaitė, a teacher, was summoned for interrogation. Interrogator Rainys questioned her about the following arrested individuals: P. Buzas, A. Janulis, [Miss] G. Navickaitė, and [Miss] O. Vitkauskaitė. He accused Father Tamkevičius of being responsible that these innocent persons landed in prison and of convincing Father Virgilijus Jaugelis to poison himself, and now he was proclaiming Father Jaugelis a martyr and saint. Interrogator Rainys raged when B. Mališkaitė refused to sign anything during the interrogation. The interrogator's final conclusion was: "If you follow this path, things will end badly for you."
* * *
On March 6, 1980, Father Feliksas Baliūnas, assistant pastor of St. George Church in Šiauliai, was summoned to the Šiauliai KGB headquarters for a talk. Several security agents questioned Father Baliūnas about [Mrs.] J. Petkeviciene, M. Jurevičiuss (a member of the Helsinki Watch Group), etc. The Chekists accused Father Baliūnas of supporting the "parasite" Jurevičius, of gathering information for the Chronicle, of charging that the Soviet order does not fight against alcoholism. He ordered the priest to sign an explanation. "Don't push rods into our wheels, and we won't push any into yours," remarked the security agent.
* * *
In connection with the case being prepared against the Vilnius residents Antanas Terleckas, Julius Sasnauskas, and Algirdas Statkevičius, several persons were interrogated in Šiauliai during March 6 to 8,1980. A group of security agents from Vilnius led by Major Pilelis, interrogated [Mrs.] Ona Lukauskaitė-Poškiene, [Mrs.] Jadvyga Petkevičienė, Mečislovas Jurevičius, and Father Feliksas Baliūnas. The interrogator remarked that the three Vilnius residents were being prosecuted for "anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda," and it was a possibility that more individuals would be added to this case. The security agents were very interested in the Memorandum of 45 Baits regarding the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, Aušra (Dawn), and protests in connection with the arrests in Lithuania.
* * *
On April 15, 1980, KGB Major Markevičius interrogated [Mrs.] A. Ragaišienė in regard to a press conference held in her apartment for foreign journalists who had come to Vilnius and about her protesting of the KGB's treatment of Romas Ragaišis.
* * *
[Miss] Nijolė Galminaitė was detained at the Tauragė bus station on February 10, 1980. The arrested girl was taken to police headquarters and locked in a "drunk tank." Drunks are held in this tank for one night and are released once they become sober, but the young woman was held three days under extraordinarily terrible conditions. She was forbidden to tell even her own parents about her detention. Furthermore, the security agents subjected her to a thorough search and copied addresses from her address book although they had not shown a search warrant or written a report. For three days the girl was interrogated by a stocky security agent. The search, the interrogation, and the detention were all in violation of Soviet laws.
Nijolė Galminaitė was interrogated regarding her religious beliefs and accused of actively participating in church services. She was questioned why she visited Viduklė, Žemaičių Kalvarija, and Telšiai. The agent tried to persuade her to inform the security police about details of church life, who served at mass, who kept vigil, and who belonged to the choir.
Finally the security agents threatened that if anyone learned of the interrogation and detention, she would be brought back and beaten. The Chekist ordered the girl to lie to her parents that she had been detained somehow on her trip as the reason she did not return home for three days.
