Baltic News Service
February 3, 2007 Saturday 11:55 PM EET
LATVIA’S NATIONAL TB/LNNK PARTY NOT TO REPEATEDLY PROPOSE CRIMINAL
PUNISHMENT FOR DENYING OCCUPATION FOR NOW
The Latvian nationalist alliance For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK
(TB/LNNK) for the time being does not plan to repeatedly submit a
proposal for a criminal punishment for publicly denying the fact of
Latvia’s occupation.
TB/LNNK chairman and a member of the European Parliament, Roberts
Zile told BNS: "We wanted to prove that there should be such an idea,
but our colleagues rejected it, and we will not hit the wall
repeatedly, at least that is my opinion, and I think the party will
do the same," said Zile.
He believes that such an initiative "was nothing undemocratic" in
Europe, as other countries were achieving to criminalize denial of
the Holocaust and the Armenian genocide.
Zile said that punishments might be imposed for denying the fact of
occupation in public speeches only.
The politician underscored that there might not be a second thought
about the fact of occupation. "We have official documents passed by
the parliament… The argument is not possible. In the same way as
the German fascist regime was a crime," said Zile.
The Latvian parliament on Jan. 18 rejected the nationalist alliance
For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK (TB/LNNK) proposal to declare the
denial of Latvia’s occupation a criminal offense.
TB/LNNK had worked out draft amendments to Latvia’s Penal Code that
would introduce criminal liability for publicly denying the fact that
the former Soviet Union had occupied Latvia. The party proposes to
set a jail term of up to three years or a fine of up to 60 minimum
wages for publicly denying the fact of Latvia’s occupation or a
public call to deny this fact.