The Perm governor apologized for the incident with the Nazis

On February 9, 2006, Oleg Chirkunov, Governor of the Perm Territory, made an official statement in connection with the incident with the Nazis at the round table "Youth and Ideology".

"There will never be a place in the Perm Territory for organizations and movements declaring racial or national hatred. I sincerely regret if the incident has affected the feelings of veterans I deeply respect," the press service of Oleg Chirkunov said in a statement.

O. Chirkunov noted that the performance of the Nazis had a single character, and he would do his best to restore justice. "I believe that this speech should also be given a legal assessment. For this, the relevant materials were sent to the prosecutor's office of the Perm Territory" The Governor recalled that "Perm Territory has always been, is and will be a region of interethnic and interfaith harmony," and promised that he would do this "everything possible" .

"I am categorically against providing a platform for propaganda to organizations and movements declaring racial or national hatred. But we must not turn away from those young people who are still choosing their own path in life, who are still able to hear us and realize their mistakes. We must make every effort to explain to them that they are mistaken, that true patriotism cannot be based on nationalist, fascist ideas," the statement also says.

This is perhaps the first case known to us when a government official apologized for the fact that a neo-Nazi incident occurred at an official event. Recall that cases of participation of right-wing radicals in such events are not isolated .

On February 8, 2006, representatives of the federal media who were present at the Open Forum of Youth of the Perm Territory issued a statement stating that "there was no fascist coven at the Open Forum of Youth of the Perm Territory ... Governor Chirkunov did not invite fascists to the event, and even didn't exactly express support for them . "

“We, the journalists who were present at this forum, declare that the deliberate distortion of facts, labeling ridiculous, attempts to once again cross the democrats with the Nazis, resemble a planned PR campaign to discredit the governor of the Perm Territory, Oleg Chirkunov, known for his liberal views... . " , says the statement, which was signed by: Valery Panyushkin (Kommersant); Alexander Miridonov ("Kommersant"); Lilia Mukhamedyarova ("Newspaper"); Yana Serova ("Novaya Gazeta"); Ksenia Veretennikova, ("News Time"); Mikhail Romanov ("Moskovsky Komsomolets"); Anastasia Karimova ("United Civil Front"); Maxim Yaroshevsky (radio station "Freedom"); Ilya Barabanov (Gazeta.ru); Vera Kholmogorova (Kasparov.ru).

See the Democracy Under Siege website for details .

Sources

• Perm governor had to apologize for the incident with the Nazis // News. 2006. February 9.
• Governor of the Perm Territory: There will be no organizations declaring ethnic hatred in the Kama region // IA REGNUM. 2006. February 9.
• Statement by representatives of the federal mass media who participated in the work of the Open Forum of Youth of the Perm Territory // Center Demos. 2006. February 9.