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"The commemoration and historical investigation of the Holocaust is our moral and political commitment. We are strongly committed to this, both in our own country and internationally. In order to prevent such atrocities from repeating, it is necessary not only to know, but also to analyse the causes of these horrific tragedies. One should know that even in seemingly hopeless situations there are opportunities to resist, as was done by Jewish rescuers in Latvia," said Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, on Tuesday, November 30, addressing participants of the Commemorative event dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the massacre of the Riga ghetto prisoners at the Rumbula Memorial.
The Speaker of the Saeima said that 80 years ago, when the state of Latvia lost its independence and was unable to defend its citizens from the arbitrariness of foreign powers in its territory, one of the most atrocious crimes against humanity was committed by the ruling Nazi regime.
"The massacre of Jewish Latvian citizens and Jewish people from other European countries took place here, in Rumbula. It is a tragedy of the Jewish people, it was and remains a tragedy of Latvia," stressed the Speaker of the Saeima, honouring those who died in the Rumbula forest and expressing condolences to the Jewish people as a whole and to the families who lost their relatives in the mass graves.
“The 20th century has, unfortunately, been a century of man-made global disasters, a period of thirst for power and impunity resulting in millions of people suffering, and in this series of disasters the shameful tragedy of the Holocaust stands out,” said Speaker Mūrniece.
She noted that, after the regaining of independence, it was one again possible in Latvia to engage in objective study of the past. “Our historians and writers highlight this page of history in scientific and literary works, our film directors make films. We study, store testimonies and educate the public about the crimes of the Holocaust," said Speaker Mūrniece, emphasising the role of museums in depicting the events of the occupation of Latvia.
"We were not able to prevent the tragedy of the Riga ghetto 80 years ago. It forever remains on the conscience of those responsible. But what we can do is remember, commemorate, educate and do whatever it takes to prevent such tragedies from ever repeating," stressed Speaker Mūrniece.
In 1941, the Rumbula forest was the place where the Nazi occupation regime carried out one of the most atrocious Holocaust crimes in Latvia, robbing more than 25 000 people of their lives. The mass extermination of Jewish people in Rumbula is one of the darkest pages in the history of Latvia.
Saeima Press Service