22. August 08
At the event organised for the purpose of recording memories relating to the Narva prison camp, the Minister of Justice commended the city of Narva for valuing its history and emphasised that all repressions carried out after World War II must be thoroughly mapped and documented.
At the event organised within the scope of the conference titled “Political repressions in the 1940s and 1950s” Rein Lang, the Minister of Justice, stressed that all repressions carried out after World War II must be thoroughly mapped and documented and that a lot of work needs to be done in that regard. “There are plenty of materials that need to be scientifically explored and published,” Lang said. “And then we will have to find opportunities for introducing these materials to people all over the world.”
In his speech, the Minister also commended Narva for acknowledging all of its history instead of just its positive aspects. “This adds to the belief that in the future Narva and its citizens will stand for the values that prevent the recurrence of these hideous things that happened here from 1941 to 1955,” Lang stated.
According to Lang the crimes of communist regimes committed after World War II are most relevant today.
“While the judgments of the Nuremberg Tribunal proclaimed an unambiguous legal assessment of the Nazi crimes, the situation with the crimes committed by communist regimes is most equivocal,” Lang said. “Unfortunately, lots of politicians and lawyers find that the right of winners differs from the right of the defeated which makes it impossible to equalise Nazism and communism. I definitely disapprove such a position.”
According to the Minister of Justice, crimes against humanity must be prosecuted irrespective of whether they were committed by winners or losers, war heroes or victims. “In the case of genocide, heroism on the battlefield is not an excuse or a circumstance that would preclude guilt,” Lang said.
