Latvia's Constitutional Court ruled that laws ordering local authorities to remove objects glorifying the Soviet regime should be considered constitutional, TVP World reported.
The court was referred by the authorities of the second largest Latvian city Daugavpils in this matter. The city council pointed out that in Daugavpils as early as 1992, monuments erected during the Soviet period, which had no aesthetic value and reflected the ideology of the Soviet era, were dismantled.
The remaining monuments are in good technical condition, and one of them has even been restored. It was established that the monuments did not glorify the Soviet regime, but were dedicated to the memory of fallen soldiers.
However, the court found that the objects glorifying the Red Army, which are specified in the contested legislation, were erected to transform the memory and emotions of the Latvian society regarding the crimes committed by the occupying forces against the person, humanity, and the state.
The court added that their purpose was also to remind the population of the continued presence of the Soviet authorities.
In June 2022, a law came into force in Latvia that banned the display of Soviet and Nazi symbols in public places and ordered the removal of objects glorifying these regimes. The dismantling of monuments, commemorative inscriptions, and other objects was ordered.
Some of the Russian-speaking residents of Latvia spoke out against the removal of the monuments. /BGNES
