Estonian International Commission for Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity
Encyclopedia
The Estonian International Commission for Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity (also known as the History Commission) is the commission established by President of Estonia
Lennart Meri
in October 1998 to investigate crimes against humanity committed in Estonia
or against its citizens during the Soviet and German occupation
, such as Soviet deportations from Estonia
and the Holocaust in Estonia. It held its first session in Tallinn
in January 1999. Finnish diplomat Max Jakobson
was appointed chairman of the commission. For independence purposes, there are no Estonian citizens among its members.
Research of the Commission has been relied on by the European Court of Human Rights
, for example in its decision to not grant certiorari
to review a complaint by August Kolk and Pyotr Kislyy, who had been convicted of crimes against humanity due to their roles in the Soviet deportations from Estonia
.
President of Estonia
The President of the Republic is the head of state of the Republic of Estonia.Estonia is a parliamentary republic, therefore President is mainly a symbolic figure and holds no executive power. The President has to suspend his membership in any political party for his term in office...
Lennart Meri
Lennart Meri
Lennart Georg Meri was a writer, film director and statesman who served as the second President of Estonia from 1992 to 2001. Meri was a leader of the Estonian independence movement.-Early life:...
in October 1998 to investigate crimes against humanity committed in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
or against its citizens during the Soviet and German occupation
Occupation of Estonia by Nazi Germany
After Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, Army Group North reached Estonia in July.Initially the Germans were perceived by most Estonians as liberators from the USSR and its repressions, having arrived only a week after the first mass deportations from the Baltics...
, such as Soviet deportations from Estonia
Soviet deportations from Estonia
As the Soviet Union had occupied Estonia in 1940 and retaken it from Nazi Germany again in 1944, tens of thousands of Estonia's citizens underwent deportation in the 1940s...
and the Holocaust in Estonia. It held its first session in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
in January 1999. Finnish diplomat Max Jakobson
Max Jakobson
Max Jakobson is a retired Finnish Jewish diplomat and journalist.Jakobson began his career as a journalist. He worked at the BBC. From 1953 to 1974 he was employed by the Finnish foreign ministry, eventually acting as Finland's ambassador to the United Nations and Sweden...
was appointed chairman of the commission. For independence purposes, there are no Estonian citizens among its members.
Research of the Commission has been relied on by the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
, for example in its decision to not grant certiorari
Certiorari
Certiorari is a type of writ seeking judicial review, recognized in U.S., Roman, English, Philippine, and other law. Certiorari is the present passive infinitive of the Latin certiorare...
to review a complaint by August Kolk and Pyotr Kislyy, who had been convicted of crimes against humanity due to their roles in the Soviet deportations from Estonia
Soviet deportations from Estonia
As the Soviet Union had occupied Estonia in 1940 and retaken it from Nazi Germany again in 1944, tens of thousands of Estonia's citizens underwent deportation in the 1940s...
.
Members
- Max JakobsonMax JakobsonMax Jakobson is a retired Finnish Jewish diplomat and journalist.Jakobson began his career as a journalist. He worked at the BBC. From 1953 to 1974 he was employed by the Finnish foreign ministry, eventually acting as Finland's ambassador to the United Nations and Sweden...
, Chairman - Dr. Uffe Ellemann-JensenUffe Ellemann-JensenUffe Ellemann-Jensen was Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark in the Conservative led Poul Schlüter Administration 1982–1993. He was leader of the Danish Liberal Party, Venstre 1984–1998 and President of the European Liberals 1995–2000...
(President of the European Liberal PartyEuropean Liberal Democrat and Reform PartyThe European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe...
, former Foreign Minister of DenmarkForeign Minister of DenmarkThe Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs handles Denmark's foreign affairs. The Foreign Minister works in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.The current Minister for Foreign Affairs is Villy Søvndal.-External links:***...
) - Dr. Paul A. GoblePaul A. GoblePaul A. Goble is an American analyst, writer and columnist with expertise on Russia, Eurasia, public diplomacy and international broadcasting...
(Director of Communications of Public Relations of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) - Nicholas Lane (Chairman of the International Relations Commission of the American Jewish CommitteeAmerican Jewish CommitteeThe American Jewish Committee was "founded in 1906 with the aim of rallying all sections of American Jewry to defend the rights of Jews all over the world...
) - Prof. Peter Reddaway (Professor of Political Science and International Affairs of the George Washington UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityThe George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
) - Arseny RoginskyArseny RoginskyArseny Borisovich Roginsky is a Russian historian and human rights activist. He is one of the founders of Memorial.- References :...
(Chairman of the Council of the Scientific and Educational Centre MemorialMemorial (society)Memorial is an international historical and civil rights society that operates in a number of post-Soviet states. It focuses on recording and publicising the Soviet Union's totalitarian past, but also monitors human rights in post-Soviet states....
of Moscow, Scientific Programme Manager) - Prof. FreiherrFreiherrThe German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
Wolfgang von StettenWolfgang von StettenWolfgang Freiherr von Stetten is a German lawyer and politician of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany . He served as Member of Parliament from 1990 to 2002...
(Professor, Mitglied des Deutschen Bundestages)
Sources
- Official website
- Mälksoo, Lauri (2001). Soviet Genocide? Communist Mass Deportations in the Baltic States and International Law. Leiden Journal of International Law 14, 757–787.