MINSK, 12 March (BelTA) – The Belarusian National Assembly was outraged to learn the news about the justification of the actions of war criminal Romuald Rajs nicknamed Bury by the Polish Institute of National Remembrance, Chairman of the Commission on International Affairs of the House of Representatives Valery Voronetsky told BelTA.
In January-February 1946 Romuald Rajs together with members of his gang committed mass killings of civilians, including elderly people, women and children, mostly ethnic Belarusians of Orthodox faith. They justify his crimes by saying that they were committed “in the circumstances of extreme necessity”, Valery Voronetsky said. “Obviously this repulsive step of the Polish institute offends not only the memory of the victims, their descendants and all people of goodwill but also shows disregard for the Christian European values. It undermines the spirit of mutual understanding, trust, good-neighborly interaction and cooperation between our peoples and can have a long-term negative impact on the development of bilateral relations,” Valery Voronetsky said.
He wondered whether the Polish Institute of National Remembrance understands that by taking such a decision they are opening Pandora's box. In other countries, not only in Poland, there may be those who will justify war crimes “by extreme necessity”. “Does this correspond to the state interests of modern Poland or contribute to good-neighborly relations between our countries and peoples? Obviously no,” the MP noted.
The Belarusian Parliament believes that the civil societies of the two countries should have their say. “We hope that their reaction to the justification of the war criminal involved in the genocide of the Belarusians will make Poland reconsider their short-sighted decision. We hope that our colleagues, Polish MPs, and sensible citizens of Poland will give an appropriate assessment of the actions by the Polsih institute to glorify the war criminal and will voice their principled position on the issue,” the MP noted.
