POSITION

Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland

December 13, 2021.

on the situation of the International Association
Historical, Educational, Charitable and Human Rights Defense "Memorial"

International Historical and Educational Association, Benevolent
and Defense of Human Rights "Memorial", established by the will of the noblest citizens of Russia in 1989 - at a time when the Russian people were awakening to freedom after decades of totalitarian communist violence, is today threatened in its existence.

"Memorial" - this is the conscience of Russia, for more than thirty years has been documenting the crimes of the communist regime, restoring the memory of its victims, and thus honoring their human dignity, which, along with the inalienable right to freedom, is an inherent characteristic of every human being.

Poland will forever remain grateful to the Russian friends, collaborators and supporters of Memorial, who determinedly sought the truth about the fate of the Poles, victims not only of direct repression, but also often of the policy of covering up traces of their lives. It is thanks to the efforts of the Russian "Memorial" that many Polish families have gained knowledge of the fate of their loved ones, victims of Stalinist repression, the NKVD Polish Operation, deportations, the Katyn Massacre, or the August Campaign. In their name we pay tribute to all collaborators of Memorial and wish to assure them of eternal Polish friendship. Poland will always be ready to offer them hospitality and safe shelter.

The real reasons for the attack on Memorial are obvious. By remembering the victims, calling them by name, documenting their martyrdom, the Association condemns the executioners
and the inhuman regime that created them. It breaks the principle of hiding the personal names of the criminals who carried out the genocidal orders of the Soviet authorities. Today we can see a return to these practices - to impunity and the concealment of crimes committed in the past years.

The activities of the Memorial Association in discovering, describing and making public
Therefore, not only is a great moral act of courageous people, directed towards honoring the victims of the past, but also a great political act of wise people, directed towards the future. By lifting the veil of silence from the crimes of the past, it makes it more difficult to commit future crimes. It shows potential executioners who will be given criminal orders that their names may one day be revealed to the world, their crimes called crimes, and they themselves will not go unpunished. In the Commission's view, this is the real reason for the attack on the Association.

Commission protests against threat of liquidation of Memorial Association
and calls on the international community to defend Memorial, not only for the sake of historical truth, defended by Memorial, but also for the sake of a secure future - without state-protected, dictator-obedient criminals.