Investigation opened after photos of HITLER & HIMMLER uploaded to Russian online WWII victory celebration
Russia’s Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal case after pictures of Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler were found on the website Immortal Regiment Online, celebrating Soviet veterans of World War II.
Every May 9, Russia celebrates the triumph over Nazism in the Second World War with fireworks, ceremonies, and parties. Another tradition, introduced in 2012, is the ‘Immortal Regiment’, a parade of ordinary Russian people who walk in the memory of their forefathers who fought in the war, often holding a sign with their picture. Originating in the Siberian city of Tomsk, the ‘Immortal Regiment’ now takes place in at least 500 cities all over the world, including Moscow, New York, and London.
In response to the Covid-19 epidemic, the 2020 parade was moved online. On a special new website, Russian citizens uploaded photos of themselves and their relatives, including a short message explaining what their forefathers did during the Great Patriotic War.
On Thursday, Russia’s Investigative Committee began criminal proceedings against unknown persons, alleged to have posted photos of the former Nazi Fuhrer and his SS leader sidekick. According to the Committee’s official representative Svetlana Petrenko, the culprits sought to “endorse the crimes of the Nazi regime established by the verdict of the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg.”
Also on rt.com For many Russians, Victory Day isn’t about politics or patriotismRussian law offers the possibility of a fine or prison sentence if someone is found guilty of “rehabilitating Nazism.”
The chairman of Russian political party Rodina, Alexey Zhuravlev, called for those responsible to be found, and possibly sent to jail.
“This is not just an attempt to hack the site. It is ... an attempt on the historical memory of our people, who at the cost of 27 million lives saved these scoundrels from the German-fascist invaders,” he said.
The perpetrators are still unknown.
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