The glorification of the Nazis and Hitler collaborators against the backdrop of vandalism of monuments to Red Army soldiers cannot be justified by any gaps in legislation or the supposedly absolute nature of some rights and freedoms.
This is stated in the statement of Russia's permanent representative to the OSCE, Alexander Lukashevich, published on the department's official Facebook page, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“In recent years, cases of neo-Nazism have become more frequent in the Czech Republic; a course has been taken to downplay the liberating role of the Red Army and glorify Nazi collaborators. The campaign to denigrate the personality of Marshal of the USSR and twice Hero of the Soviet Union I.S. Konev resulted, in particular, in the dismantling of his monument in Prague on April 3,” Lushkashevich said.
He recalled that in 2019, illegal actions, including damage and desecration, against memorials to Soviet soldiers were committed in Brno, Prague and Ostrava.
“Against the background of vandalism of monuments to Red Army soldiers in the Czech Republic, there are examples of a tolerant attitude towards manifestations of neo-Nazism, whitewashing of Third Reich soldiers and Nazi collaborators is taking place. In October 2011, in the village of Korzhenov (Liberec Region), a historical society restored a monument to the Czechs who fought in the ranks of the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS.
The head of the city district of Prague, Rzeporye Novotny, proposed erecting a monument to the soldiers who fought on the side of the collaborator Russian Liberation Army of General Vlasov,” said the Russian permanent representative.
At the same time, he noted that according to the Charter of the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, the actions of the “Vlasovites” are qualified as participation in war crimes committed by the Nazis, crimes against humanity and complicity with them.
“We once again emphasize the inadmissibility of any form of glorification of the Nazi movement and former members of the Waffen-SS organization, including through the construction of monuments to them and holding public demonstrations.
The listed actions cannot be justified by gaps in legislation or the supposedly absolute nature of some rights and freedoms. Incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence must be prevented. These actions must be prohibited by law,” the diplomat emphasized.
In addition, he pointed out that the lack of proper counteraction by the Czech authorities to manifestations of neo-Nazism and militant nationalism is contrary to OSCE commitments.
“We call on the Czech authorities to counteract, in accordance with their international obligations, the spread of neo-Nazism and other ideas that incite hatred and discord,” Lukashevich addressed the Czechs.