Moscow criticizes Estonia for preparing to deal with anti-fascist veterans

Moscow believes that the trials against anti-fascist veterans opening in Estonia on August 22th have a strongly pronounced political character. According to the Russian embassy in Estonia, Vladimir Penart (b.1925), a Russian citizen, a veteran of the state security bodies of Estonia, will stand Estonian trail in the town of Valga on August 22th. Apart from that, the trial against another anti-fascist veteran, Russian citizen Yuri Karpov will be held on September 18th-19th in Tallinn. The third one awaiting his turn is Stepan Nikeyev, veteran of security bodies, is also a citizen of Russia.

The embassy noted that all veterans have been sued with a frame-up charge of "crimes against humanity." The embassy stressed that "these trials are of a strongly pronounced political character." In particular, this was proved by the resolution, which the Estonian parliament adopted on July 18th 2002, proclaiming Soviet law-enforcement bodies "criminal organizations." At the same time, it is no secret that the process to rehabilitate Nazi criminals and their collaborationists is currently speeding up in Estonia.