Estonia: The Riigikogu passed the Statement “On Historical Memory and Falsification of History”

NordenBladet — At today’s sitting, the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) passed the Statement of the Riigikogu “On Historical Memory and Falsification of History”, submitted by 73 members of the Parliament.

The Statement reads:

“Condemning the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact together with its secret protocols, and the subsequent occupation of the Baltic States and the division Poland between two totalitarian regimes, which was a major precondition for the breakout of World War II;

having regard to the Resolution of the Congress of People’s Deputies of the Soviet Union of 24 December 1989, which condemned the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and its secret protocols, and declared the secret protocols to be null and void and invalid from the moment they were signed;

recalling the Statement of the Riigikogu of 14 February 2012, which condemned the repressive politics of the Soviet Union and National Socialist Germany, and the activities of the persons who have committed crimes against humanity in the service of these regimes;

recalling the European Parliament Resolution of 19 September 2019, in which the importance of European remembrance for the future of Europe is emphasised;

expressing support to Poland and other nations whom the Russian Federation has recently blamed for the outbreak of World War II,

the Riigikogu,

condemns the attempts of the authorities of the Russian Federation at rewriting history, denying the role of the Soviet Union as one of the main initiators of World War II and laying the blame on the victims of the aggression;

underlines that World War II became possible as the direct outcome of the Treaty of Non-aggression between the National Socialist Germany and the Soviet Union, or the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, and its secret protocols, signed on 23 August 1939;

reiterates that Nazi Germany, the communist Soviet Union and other totalitarian regimes are guilty of mass murders of unprecedented extent in human history, in genocides, deportations and loss of life and freedoms;

calls on the Government of the Republic to support the preservation of authentic historical memory both in Estonia and in the whole world, so that the crimes of totalitarian regimes would not be forgotten, because knowledge of history increases the capability to resist the threats endangering democracy;

considers it necessary to support activities that promote historical memory and remembrance in Estonia and the member states of the European Union;

stresses the need to speak about the crimes of totalitarian regimes and the threats to democracy throughout history at the general education schools of Estonia, and to include these topics in the curricula;

calls on supporting the projects that perpetuate the memory of the victims of totalitarian regimes.”

72 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the Statement (140 AE) and one member was against.

Mihhail Lotman (Isamaa), Helle-Moonika Helme (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) and Jaak Juske (Social Democratic Party) took the floor during the debate.

Source: Parliament of Estonia