Latvia minister faces sack in Nazi memorial row

Latvian Waffen SS veterans at a ceremony in 2010 in Riga: many Latvians consider them heroes who fought for independence from the Soviet Union. Photograph: Ilmars Znotins/AFP/Getty Images


Latvia's environment minister will be fired after he insisted on participating in annual commemorations of Latvian soldiers who fought in Nazi units during the second world war, according to a government spokesman.

Einars Cilinskis, of the rightwing National Alliance, announced on Friday he would attend Sunday's events in Riga, ignoring warnings from the prime minister, Laimdota Straujuma.

Straujuma had called on cabinet ministers to stay away from the 16 March events, which are expected to prompt counter-protests from members of Latvia's Russian-speaking minority. The situation is particularly sensitive this year due to the crisis in Ukraine.

"She gave him time to reconsider his participation, but unfortunately he decided to participate," Blinds said.

Cilinskis explained his decision to attend the parade by saying that a "nation that does not respect its heroes has no future", the Baltic News Service reported.
Latvia minister faces sack in Nazi memorial row [shared from Weave for Windows Phone]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/14/latvia-minister-einars-cilinskis-nazi-memorial-row

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