Lukashenko: investigation of genocide of Belarusian people is issue of historical justice
This was stated today by the President at a ceremony to present state awards and the banner of the Belarusian Prosecutor’s Office, held at the Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War. The Head of State called the event a milestone, because on the eve of the Fatherland Defenders’ Day, state awards and the banner of the Prosecutor’s Office were presented to people who are responsible for ensuring security, law and – most importantly – public order in our state.
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted, “It is no coincidence that today we gathered in the Victory Hall to hold this solemn ceremony. The Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War is a symbol of our statehood. Everything here reminds us of the price we paid to preserve ourselves as a nation, our right to live on this land and rebuild our state.”
The President focused on the most important and topical issue of today, “Being in this temple of sorrow for millions of victims and pride for the generation of winners, I ask myself only one question: has this experience not taught people anything? It would seem that the memory of those terrible, relatively recent events is quite fresh. After all, the witnesses of the atrocities of the Nazis are still among us. This national memory should have cooled down the ardour of separate politicians and figures. But what do we see? The number and scale of challenges and threats are not decreasing. As a result of inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic wars, people continue to die in masses.”
According to the Head of State, modern revenge-seekers provoke new conflicts. In order to justify themselves, they are trying with all their might to rewrite history, take the Victory away from the Soviet people and call the heirs of the victorious people – you and me – the aggressors.
The President assured, “We cannot allow this. The investigation into the facts of the genocide initiated by the Prosecutor General’s Office and the identification of particular individuals who managed to escape punishment for the murder of civilians will be brought to a logical end. This is an issue of historical justice and our duty to the memory of more than three million people who became victims of Nazism.”
The Head of State drew attention to the fact that this figure is still not final. Last year alone, about three hundred burial sites were established. The President underlined, “We will present all the results of the work carried out to the world community... Of course, if this world community exists by this time and wants to know and hear these facts. They will become a reminder of what modern followers of fascism are trying so hard to forget. But we ourselves must remember that it took more than one decade to restore the pre-war population of the republic. Thanks to the incredible efforts and the work of the Belarusian people, our country has acquired its unique modern look.”
The Head of State noted that prosecutors had gained big authority with their honesty and patriotism, perseverance and integrity in protecting the rights of citizens, public and state interests, “This year, the Prosecutor’s Office of Belarus will celebrate its centenary. Let the banner – as a special relic – remind you of the sacred duty of every citizen: to serve one’s own Fatherland.”
The President congratulated the participants of the ceremony to present state awards and the banner of the Belarusian Prosecutor’s Office and wished them health, well-being, professional success for the benefit of their native country and a peaceful sky above their heads, “We must do everything to ensure that our country, which has experienced such grief quite recently, remains a peaceful, independent country and that only peaceful people live on our land.”
