The Investigative Committee began checking the “Memorial” about the “rehabilitation of Nazism”

The Investigative Committee began to check the Memorial society on the appeal for the rehabilitation of Nazism. About it informs RBC, citing law enforcement sources.

The materials of the check of the international historical and educational society “Memorial” were registered by the Investigative Committee on Wednesday, February 2. This was reported to the agency by a law enforcement source. Another source of the agency, familiar with the audit materials, confirmed this information.

According to RBC’s source, the appeal, which is being checked, states that Memorial rehabilitates Nazism “by denying, deliberately suppressing and falsifying the facts of the crimes of Nazi accomplices, perpetuates their memory as victims of political repression in the USSR.”

Chairman of the board of “Memorial” Yan Rachinsky told the publication that he was invited to the investigative department, the time of the visit will be agreed in the coming days.

An appeal to the Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation with a request to bring the management and employees of “Memorial” to justice came from the public movement “Veterans of Russia”. The claims against “Memorial” are that “Nazi accomplices” were found in the list of victims of political repressions, which is compiled by “Memorial”.

“Memorial” thinksthat the prosecutor’s office used the treatment of allegations of the rehabilitation of Nazism without any verification. The organization’s website explains that an entry in the database is not a biographical sketch, and inclusion in the database does not mean that any actions are justified: about illegal repressions for political reasons”. Some of those illegally repressed before the war, Memorial points out, indeed subsequently collaborated with the Nazis. “This does not change the fact of illegal repression and rehabilitation,” the organization notes.

International “Memorial” was liquidated December 28, 2021 by the Supreme Court of Russia. In the reasoning part of the decision, the Supreme Court indicatedthat the organization “does not ensure the publicity of its activities.” The Prosecutor General’s Office insisted on liquidation. The organization was accused of violating the law on foreign agents. At the trial, the prosecutor stated that “Memorial” “distorts historical memory, creates a false image of the USSR and denigrates the memory of the Second World War.” According to the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, society is trying to rehabilitate Nazi criminals, because “someone pays for it.” The next day the Moscow City Court liquidated and the human rights “Memorial”. The basis was also the accusation of violating the law on “foreign agents” and “justifying terrorism”.

Liquidation of “Memorial” condemned USA, EU, Australia, Canada and UK. In their joint statement, they noted that “the shameless decision to silence Memorial followed the systematic repression in Russia against human rights activists, independent media and journalists, members of the political opposition.”