Georgia honours Lithuanian victims of Soviet aggression

Georgia has marked the 24th anniversary of the Lithuanian Freedom Defenders' Day, commemorating victims of Soviet aggression in 1991.

Numerous Georgian officials including the President, Parliament Speaker, Minister of Defence, Tbilisi Mayor and others gathered in the centre of capital city Tbilisi and carried a special flag measuring 200m that had been brought from Lithuania especially to celebrate the day.

Photo by President's press office

"As a saying goes, the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots,” President Giorgi Margvelashvili said to the crowds, where he emphasized the Lithuanians’ prolonged fight for independence.

Georgian Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili drew parallels between the Freedom Defender’s Day and the incident in Georgia on April 9, 1989 when at least twenty people were tragically killed as Soviet troops attacked peaceful protesters in Tbilisi.

"On such dates, we should realise that we, Georgians, are not only five million. On such dates we should count with us two million Lithuanians, two million Latvians, three million Estonians, etcetera,” Usupashvili said.

"There are many people who fight for freedom and independence with us.”

A special flag measuring 200m was brought from Lithuania especially to celebrate the day. Photo by President's press office.

Lithuanian Ambassador to Georgia Jonas Paslauskas said January 13 was a tragic date for Lithuania but at the same time the nation felt proud of its heroes who fought for independence. Paslauskas thanked the Georgians for their support.

"Georgia has always been and will always be Lithuania’s very close friend,” he said.

Each year on 13 January, Lithuania marked Freedom Defenders' Day to honour the memory of those killed by the Soviet army in Vilnius in 1991.

On January 13, 1991, the Soviet Union used force to overthrow Lithuania's legitimate government which declared the country's independence on March 11, 1990. More than 1,000 unarmed Lithuanian civilians were injured and 14 were killed during an attempt by the Soviet army and Special Forces to take over the Vilnius TV Tower.

Although the Soviet troops managed to seize control of the TV Tower and the building of the Radio and Television of Lithuania, they did not dare to attack thousands of people who guarded the Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania.