Vytautas Pociūnas

Vytautas Pociūnas (September 1957 – August 23 2006) was a Lithuanian physicist, Home Security ("Vidaus Reikalų Ministerija") officer and diplomat, for the general public best known after his controversial death in a hotel room in Belarus and with consequently followed Home Security scandal.

Career

Pociūnas graduated from Vilnius University with a degree in physics. From 1992 he worked as a Home Security ("Vidaus Reikalų Ministerija") officer, the senior advisor to government, head of Home Security department of economics. From October 2005 he worked as advising minister at consulate general in Hrodna, Republic of Belarus. In 2007 under proposal of prime minister Gediminas Kirkilas was awarded with national Order of the Cross of Vytis ("Vyčio Kryžiaus ordino Komandoro kryžius").

Death

On August 23 2006 Pociūnas was found dead after falling out of window of the "Inturist" hotel room in Brest, Belarus. [ [http://www.data.minsk.by/belarusnews/082006/129.html www.data.minsk.by: Belarus news and Analysis: Lithuanian diplomat and secret service officer dies in mysterious circumstances in Belarus. 2006-08-24] ] The Prosecution Service of the Republic of Lithuania ("Lietuvos Respublikos Prokuratūra") has closed the case declaring death cause being an accident. In November 2006 the officer's widow Liudvika Pociūnienė asked to proceed with the investigation, noting the serious ommisions in case documents. The former leader of Conservative Party and a member of Europarliament Vytautas Landsbergis has described the death as a political murder.

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