Justas Paleckis

Justas Paleckis (born January 22, 1899, Telsiai, Lithuania—died January 26, 1980, Moscow, Russia, U.S.S.R.) was a Lithuanian politician who served as prime minister and president of Lithuania with the support of the U.S.S.R.

Paleckis was appointed head of the government of Soviet Lithuania by Soviet High Commissar Vladimir G. Dekanozov in June 1940, three days after the Soviet army invaded Lithuania. Paleckis immediately dissolved the Seimas (Parliament) and staged a July election featuring only pro-Soviet candidates. In the same month, the new Seimas voted unanimously for a resolution requesting that the U.S.S.R. annex Lithuania. In August 1940 the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R. granted the request. In June 1941, however, when Nazi Germany invaded the U.S.S.R., Paleckis fled to Moscow. When the Soviet army reoccupied Lithuania, he was appointed chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of Lithuania. From 1966 to 1970 he was also chairman of the Soviet of Nationalities, part of the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R.