The monument to the partisan commander A.Ramanauskas-Vanagas is a continuing goal: what’s subsequent?

Such an assault in opposition to the reminiscence of the Protection Forces Commander of the Lithuanian Freedom Fighter Motion (LLKS) has been carried out for the second time in lower than a yr. There are different assaults on monuments of Lithuanian partisans. This created a resonance in society. Varied establishments are on the lookout for options. Not too long ago, the Seimas held a wide-ranging assembly on easy methods to defend monuments of historic reminiscence. Civil society can also be on the lookout for options. We interview managers and professionals from numerous fields.

Photograph of the Merkinė Regional Museum/The monument to A.Ramanauskas-Vanagas in Merkinė lined with paint once more

In search of methods

The director of the Merkinė area museum, Žygymantas Buržinskas, speaks about the truth that methods might be sought to guard the monument.

“So far as I do know, the police are investigating and checking all variations. No additional particulars, which officers say might jeopardize the investigation, are being launched presently. In the mean time, we’re discussing numerous preventive measures for the safety of the monument with people who find themselves detached to the scenario, a few of which won’t be revealed or publicly accessible,” says the interviewer.

In keeping with Ž.Buržinskas, the safety of the entire of Merkina might be assessed comprehensively, as a result of it’s attainable that not solely the monuments associated to partisan resistance, the memorial to Dainava district, but additionally the memorial devoted to the Holocaust can turn into targets within the city.

Ramūnas Guiga’s picture/Žygymantas Buržinskas

So far as I do know, the police is investigating and checking all of the variations.

“Merkinė, being one of many elementary historic facilities of the state, we consider will at all times obtain provocations. Consequently, the operate of the nationwide museum will increase not solely within the efficiency of basic duties, but additionally in the necessity to defend the concepts of the state by making them significant in numerous kinds. I can solely remind you that the monument to Adolf Ramanauskas-Vanagas is the direct property of the museum and its development and restore after the primary assault was a basic public matter”, says the director of the museum.

The monument to the nice Lithuanian partisan chief in Merkinė was unveiled in commemoration of the sixty fifth anniversary of his demise on the finish of 2022. About half a yr after this incident, it was lined with white paint, an investigation was launched, however the suspects couldn’t be recognized.

Legal responsibility for wrongdoing

Attorneys declare {that a} monument is normally a monument to commemorate, commemorate or commemorate an occasion or particular person of public significance. Monuments, in keeping with them, not solely carry out a memorial operate, however are additionally an emblem of statehood that tells our historical past and different memorable and socially vital occasions.

Lawyer, lawyer Karolis Rugys observes that when assessing the importance and symbolism of monuments or monuments to society, normally their desecration, harm, and many others., isn’t just an remoted violation of the regulation. In keeping with the interlocutor, that is somewhat an try to undermine the image of statehood or to disparage established norms and authorities in society.

Private archive picture/Karolis Rugys

“In such circumstances, legal responsibility could come up on a number of grounds, e.g. in keeping with Article 115 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, through which accountability is offered for the intentional destruction or harm of another person’s property, the worth of which doesn’t exceed three fundamental penalties and fines. If the evidentiary information is efficiently collected, the particular person discovered responsible by the court docket could possibly be fined from fifty to seven hundred and fifty euros”, says Okay. Rugys.

Nevertheless, in keeping with him, the felony regulation is utilized considerably extra typically, since monuments have an incredible worth in numerous senses for society, due to this fact their harm, destruction and/or desecration entails the strictest type of accountability. In case of such a violation, the lawyer notes, Article 187 d. 2 of the Legal Code is related. and Article 312.

“The primary talked about regulation offers for a nice, restriction of liberty, arrest or deprivation of liberty for as much as 5 years. The second article of the above-mentioned Legal Code stipulates accountability for whoever destroyed or in any other case desecrated a grave or monument, or desecrated one other place of public respect.

An individual who commits such a criminal offense shall be punished by the court docket with public service or restriction of liberty, or arrest, or deprivation of liberty for as much as one yr. And the second a part of this text stipulates that within the occasion of vandalism in a cemetery or different place of public respect, or desecration of a grave or different place of public respect as a result of racial, nationwide or spiritual motives, a punishment associated to public works or a nice, or deprivation of liberty as much as three years previous”, says Okay.Rugys.

The assaults are a transparent message

Dr. agrees with the lawyer’s ideas. Arūnas Bubnys, director of the Genocide and Resistance Analysis Middle of the Lithuanian inhabitants, who heads the establishment, which all through its total interval of exercise took care of and initiated a lot of the buildings devoted to the perpetuation of the nation’s historic reminiscence.

“We’re custodians of historic reminiscence and react sensitively to such assaults on behalf of our neighborhood. The continuing assaults in opposition to the reminiscence of Adolfos Ramanauskas-Vanagas are systematic and arranged – our middle nonetheless remembers how the development of a monument to this de facto chief of Lithuania, brutally tortured by Soviet repressive buildings, was prevented in his birthplace in the USA of America. Because the conflict progresses, we see our work as much more related and we will definitely carry it out,” says Dr. A. Bubnys.

Žygimantos Gedvilas/BNS picture/Arūnas Bubnys

Fixed assaults on monuments of Lithuanian statehood, symbols of the wrestle for freedom, commemorative indicators to commanders and partisans of the Lithuanian Freedom Wrestle and different vital protectors and creators of the state, in keeping with safety skilled A. Navis, present just one factor – the Kremlin has carried out, is finishing up and can proceed to hold out informational and different nature of hybrid technique of wrestle in opposition to our nation, society, political, non secular and historic leaders.

We’re custodians of historic reminiscence and reply sensitively to such assaults on behalf of our neighborhood.

Strict evaluation

“Desecrating monuments, distorting historic reminiscence, displaying or displaying repressive and different symbols of the Soviet occupation in public house additionally present that the fifth column is right here in our nation, it has not disappeared anyplace, it persistently and faithfully works for the terrorist regime of Purple Sq.,” says the safety official. skilled, reserve officer A.Navys.

Lukas Balandis/BNS picture/Aurimas Navys

In his opinion, the desecration of the partisan commander’s monument is a message to others, maybe nonetheless hesitant to affix the traitors of the state, that Moscow wants them, that the conflict criminals within the Kremlin are consistently interested by conserving Lithuania and different Baltic international locations, if not bodily, then psychologically within the empire.

“If we throw up our fingers, if we faux that “nothing horrible is occurring”, that, maybe, some younger folks, “hooligans” smear the symbols of Lithuania’s freedom with paint “out of nothing to do”, we’ll quit and do precisely what the terrorist Russians intend doctrine of knowledge warfare. Accepting this example is already a defeat in our minds. And from him the whole additional occupation of our nation begins”, A. Navys doesn’t hesitate.

A.Ramanauskas–Vanagas is a everlasting goal

The parallels of the knowledge conflict in opposition to Lithuania and Ukraine The pinnacle of the “Strategic Initiatives Middle” says that it’s essential to look extra broadly – Alkas Paltarokas is satisfied that one of many principal declarative phrases of Russia’s data conflict earlier than the beginning of the broad-based invasion of Ukraine was and is “denazification”, “Banderovci ” and “fascists”, “demilitarization” in an try to connect detrimental labels to residents defending independence and your entire state.

Russian providers and accomplices goal not solely the historical past of the state, but additionally the bodily monuments themselves. In Ukraine, earlier this yr, the museum of Ukrainian resistance to the Soviets, an academic establishment named after one of many leaders, and different civilian targets have been attacked with rockets. These are thought of conflict crimes, and the purpose is clear – to intimidate, destroy, terrorize by destroying historic symbols of statehood.

Lukas Balandis/BNS picture/Alkaas Paltarokas

“Russia does this consistently and within the worst felony methods – data conflict – slandering, manipulating, deceptive, intimidating, and many others. We defend ourselves solely by democratically permitted means. So a sure initiative is within the fingers of the enemy, however we’ve got discovered to acknowledge their strategies and methods, though the enemy is at all times on the lookout for new methods, we defend nicely sufficient and can defend.

Bodily assaults, sadly, aren’t remoted, and the “energetic part” is clearly seen over the last interval. We have now to be consistently vigilant as a result of terrorist states will proceed their soiled work. The position of your entire civil society is essential: resilience and the power to react appropriately, to be patriotic and detached to assaults of any stage,” explains A. Paltarokas.