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International Learned Committee of Experts of Estonian Institute of Historical Memory held a working meeting

05.07.2012

The International Learned Committee, which co-ordinates the work of the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory that was established for the in-depth investigation of violation of human rights in occupied Estonia during the second half of the 20th century, today in Kadriorg discussed future research topics that would open different facets of repressive policies implemented by the Soviet Union.

The research papers of the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory involve the abuse of mandatory psychiatric treatment and the establishment of a border regime preventing the free movement of people in Estonia. In the near future, the research specialist will focus on the implementation of lines of command and the power pyramid in general in the Estonian SSR, the ideologisation of education, activities of komsomol organisations and trade unions, crimes committed by members of the military forces and also how the lives of parents could restrict the choices of their children.

Currently, the investigators are working on approximately a dozen topics; research work will be published in "Tuna". The work of research specialists of the Institute of Historical Memory is co-ordinated by Toomas Hiio.

The Estonian Institute of Historical Memory (http://www.mnemosyne.ee/) was established by President Toomas Hendrik Ilves in 2008 in order to provide the citizens of Estonia with a thorough and objective account of the status of human rights during the Soviet occupation of Estonia.

Members of the International Learned Committee of Experts that co-ordinates the work of the Institute have extensive experience in studying the European history and history of human rights and political repressions. The Chairman of the Committee is Enrique Barón Crespo (Spain), researcher of law and economics, and former President of the European Parliament from 1989-1992 and the members are Timothy Garton Ash (United Kingdom), Professor of European Studies at Oxford University, Leading Researcher of Isaiah Berlin Lectorate of St. Anthony College of Oxford University and Senior Rerseacher of Hoover's Institute of Stanford University; Kristian Gerner (Sweden), Professor Emeritus of Lund University, historian; Paavo Keisalo (Finland), retired diplomat, acting assistant of Minister Max Jakobson in 1999–2009, while he was discharging the functions of the Head of the Estonian International Commission for the Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity; Nicholas Lane (United States of America), former Vice President of American Jewish Committee and Chairman of the Committee of Foreign Relations, member of the Estonian International Commission for the Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity in 1999–2009; Lasse Lehtinen (Finland), writer, member of the European Parliament in 2004–2009; Markus Meckel (Germany), religious scientist and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the former German Democratic Republic from April to August 1990, member of the German Bundestag in 1990–2009 former freedom fighter, and the first and final democratic; Norman M. Naimark (United States of America), Robert and Florence McDonnell Professor in East European Studies at Standford University; Yakov M. Rabkin (Canada), Professor of History at Montreal University; Pavel Žáček (Czech Republic), social scientist, Director of the Institute for the Investigation of Totalitarian Regimes.

The Institute is not a judicial body. No legal consequences follow from its findings. Rather, its goal is to establish facts and circumstances that represent violations of human rights during the period under review. The results of the Institute's research, and its contribution to the international debate on this subject, are intended to create a reliable database for a broader study both of developments within Estonia under Soviet rule, and of their ramifications for modern Estonia and for the whole of Central and Eastern Europe since the collapse of the Soviet Union. This is the outcome of the research conducted by the Institute and also a contribution to the international dispute on these matters.

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