BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

27/11/2006

Lithuania sanctions 1-month arrest of Belarusian spying suspect

VILNIUS, November 27 (RIA Novosti) - A Vilnius court has ruled to extend the detention in custody of a Belarusian national suspected of espionage by one month, a Lithuanian security officer said Monday.

The suspect, referred to by the Baltic country's intelligence as 'S.M.', was arrested in Lithuania last Friday at the request of another EU neighbor of Belarus, Poland, during a joint operation of the countries' secret services.

"[Lithuania's] State Security Department is looking into the case of the Belarusian national, to clarify his connections with Lithuania, and what interested him in our country. I believe the results of the investigation will clarify his interests in Poland and Lithuania," department head Arvydas Pocius said at a briefing in the country's Prosecutor's General Office.

Poland is also investigating the case, and its Prosecutor General Janusz Kaczmarek said the Belarusian had met with Polish nationals in different countries, including Lithuania, to obtain secret information, including files on secret agents, and to recruit them.

He said S.M. maintains that his trips to Poland and Lithuania were motivated by commercial interests.

Lithuanian Prosecutor General Algimantas Valantinas said the Belarusian authorities have been informed of the arrest, and expressed their hope that the incident will not spoil relations between Lithuania and Belarus. The arrest was carried out on a request from the Polish side, he added.

Source:

http://en.rian.ru/world/20061127/56065097.html