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Lawmaker warns law on removing Soviet monuments in Poland can trigger wave of neo-Nazism

Poland's president earlier endorsed the amendments to the law banning the propaganda of Communism or any other totalitarian regime in the names of buildings and facilities

MOSCOW, July 17. /TASS/. The law on demolishing Soviet-era monuments in Poland, including those dedicated to the Red Army, signed by the country’s president on Monday can give rise to a wave of neo-Nazi manifestations in Europe, member of the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) International Affairs Committee Sergey Zheleznyak said.

"The amendments to the legislation, which envisage the demolition of monuments to Soviet soldiers who liberated that country signed by the Polish president today, indicate that country’s shortsighted approach and disregard for historical truth. In addition to that, the Polish authorities’ stance can provoke a new wave of neo-Nazism and other radical movements in Europe," the press service of the United Russia political party quotes Zheleznyak as saying.

At the same time, Zheleznyak expressed confidence that "a sober-minded part of the Polish and international public will condemn this destructive law incompatible with the human values people in Europe like to talk about so much."

For his part, another member of Russia’s State Duma Dmitry Sablin noted that the Polish authorities will not erase the memory of WWII "by removing monuments dedicated to the liberators". "It is impossible to destroy this memory, just like the memory of those Poles who heroically fought against Nazism," Sablin emphasized.

Polish President Andrzej Duda earlier endorsed the amendments to the law banning the propaganda of Communism or any other totalitarian regime in the names of buildings and facilities that envisage the demolition of Soviet-era monuments, including those dedicated to the Red Army. Poland’s Sejm (lower house of parliament) passed the amendments on June 22.

The amended law states that monuments and other similar objects "cannot pay tribute to individuals, organizations, events or dates that symbolize Communism or any other totalitarian regime."