to the decision of European Court of Human Rights in the case of Wassili Kononow

With large satisfaction the International Federation of Resistance - fighters - FIR - Association of Anti-fascists, the umbrella federation of organizations of former resistance fighters, partisans, members of the anti-Hitler coalition, pursued the Nazi regime and anti-fascist of today's generations from over twenty countries of Europe and Israel took knowledge of the judgement of the European Court of Justice in the case Latvian partisans of the Wassili Kononow at the end of July 2008. His condemnation in the year 2004 in Riga because of alleged war crimes 1944 was waived and awarded to him a compensation for suffered injustice.

The judges waived thereby a judgement, which over 55 years after end of war tried to criminalize the liberation struggle of Latvian partisans beside of the Soviet army. At the same time there are efforts in Latvia to rehabilitate and glorify the SS-volunteers as "fighters for the freedom of Latvia".

FIR does not only see an individual case decision in this judgement. It is a clear signal to all European countries that the liberation struggle against the fascist barbarism of the peoples may not be denied and criminalized. This is a correct decision, which makes clear the meaning of the anti-fascist resistance for the development of a peaceful Europe.

FIR congratulates Wassili Kononow and the Union of the Latvian partisan brigades and expects from the government of Latvia that it realises immediately the moral rehabilitation and the material compensation partisans in the court decision specified form.

Michel Vanderborght, President

Dr. Ulrich Schneider, General Secretary