MOSCOW, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Investigative Committee has charged 255 foreign citizens in absentia, including three European officials, for the destruction of monuments to Soviet soldiers who liberated Europe from Nazi aggression, said a Russian official.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, former Estonian State Secretary Taimar Peterkop and former Lithuanian Minister of Culture Simonas Kairys have been sentenced in absentia for such actions, said Chairman of the Russian Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin in an interview with TASS on Thursday.
Bastrykin said destroying Soviet memorials is occurring across Europe, and roughly 50 percent of such monuments have been removed following official decisions by state authorities.
Some European countries are seeking to falsify history and negate the Soviet Union's contribution to WWII, he said, adding that Russia will continue to conduct legal assessments of criminal acts that distort history and violate Russia's traditional values.
In February 2024, Kallas and Peterkop were put on Russia's wanted list on suspicion of dismantling and damaging a memorial to Soviet soldiers. ■