THE CRIMINAL CASE AND EVENTS OF JANUARY 13: LEGAL, CRIMINOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL RESEARCH
The fateful events and criminal case of January 13 is not only a historical case of Lithuania’s liberation from the Soviet Union, but is also closely related to current political realities. This topic covers a wide range of legal, criminological and historical aspects, including the distinction between positive and natural law; interfaces between Nuremberg, Eichmann and January 13 processes; selective justice and the issue of commander’s liability; individualization of punishment for commanders and enforcers; limitations of criminal law in incriminating acts falling under Arendt’s term known as “banality of evil”; the construction of public discourse, and the formation of historical narratives within it. The aim of the project is to analyse the criminal case and the events of January 13, 1991, and their assessment in public discourse.
The empirical study will consist of three parts: 1) a qualitative analysis of the January 13 case; 2) analysis of public discourse; 3) a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews based on victimological access. The results of the project will be published in 3 scientific articles published in international journals (in English) with a citation index in the IF CA JCR and/ or SNIP SCOPUS database, in a scientific study and in 2 science popularization articles (in Lithuanian). It is also planned to read 2 scientific reports in the international conference (e.g. the 21st Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology in Florence, Italy).
Projects’ production
Scientific publications:
- Zaksaitė, S. (2023). Lithuania’s “bloody Sunday”: A criminological and legal approach. Crime Prevention and Community Safety, 25(1), 47-61. https://doi.org/10.1057/
s41300-022-00166-w - Černevičiūtė, S., Zaksaitė, S. (2025). Sausio 13-osios naratyvų įtampos ir problemos: nuo teisinio revanšo iki laisvės realizacijos. Lietuvos istorijos studijos, 55, 115-141. https://doi.org/10.15388/LIS.
2025.55.5 - Rogers, M. (2025). 1991-ųjų sausio įvykiai, teismo procsas ir aukos: teisinis, kriminologinis ir viktimologinis diskursai. Jurisprudencija, 32
(2), 374-399. https://doi.org/10.13165/JUR- 25-32-2-04
The research results were presented at scientific and public events and in various publications:
- „Lithuania’s “Bloody Sunday”: a criminological and legal approach” (autorė – S. Zaksaitė).
Publications for science promotion:
- „Apie Sausio 13-osios bylą: Dar kartą, bet iš naujo” (autorė – S. Zaksaitė).
- Monika Kareniauskaitė. „Rusiškojo imperializmo Nusikaltimas ir Bausmė: nuo Sausio 13-osios iki Ukrainos karo”.
- LRT radijo laida „Istorijos perimetrai. Sausio 13-oji. Stereotipai ir teisė” (pokalbis su S. Zaksaite).
- LRT radijo laida „Džiazuojanti istorija. Kodėl Gorbačiovas nebuvo apklaustas Sausio 13-osios byloje?” (pokalbis su S. Zaksaite).
- OpTV laida „Teisingumo registras” (pokalbis su Lietuvos Respublikos nepriklausomybės akto signataru A. Endriukaičiu ir S. Zaksaite).
- Prezentacija (žodinis pranešimas nuotoliniu būdu) Europos kriminologų asociacijos e-konferencijoje „The case of January 13” (2021, autorė S. Zaksaitė).
- Prezentacija (žodinis pranešimas nuotoliniu būdu) Europos kriminologų asociacijos e-konferencijoje „The Construction of Public Discourse: Criminal Case and Events in Lietuvos Aidas (1991-2001)” (2021, autorė – S. Černevičiūtė).
The team of project researchers are dr. Salomėja Zaksaitė (Project Leader), dr. Monika Kareniauskaitė and dr. Sigita Černevičiūtė.
Project duration: from 01-07-2020 to 30-06-2022.
Project budget is EUR 104,000 EUR.
The project is funded by the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT), Contract No. S-LIP-20-14 .
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