http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080416/wl_nm/russia_extremism_dc_1

Quote:

By Christian Lowe Wed Apr 16, 5:07 AM ET MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian prosecutors are investigating a group of military history enthusiasts for extremism because they staged a World War Two re-enactment featuring a tank with German army insignia. Prosecutors say a replica Panzer 38(t) tank, which took part in a mock battle in central Siberia with a World War Two-era black and white cross stenciled on its side, was in breach of a law outlawing Nazi symbols. The enthusiasts who staged the event say the allegations are absurd and accuse prosecutors of failing to understand the point of a historical re-enactment. But Vladimir Tokarev, prosecutor for the Novosibirsk region, said: "If today we do not notice a cross on a tank, tomorrow we will be surprised to see that young people have appeared on the streets with swastikas on their sleeves. "This is precisely why the prosecutor's office has given an instruction ... to painstakingly check what aims this organization is pursuing and who it represents." "We cannot ignore such facts. Nothing can be trifling in this case," he said in remarks posted on his office's website. The head of the Siberian chapter of the Russian Military History Social Movement, which represents re-enactment enthusiasts, said prosecutors were mounting a witch-hunt. "To put it mildly, I am indignant. I'm speechless," Oleg Nelzin told Reuters in a telephone interview. "You shouldn't try to find a crime where one just doesn't exist. The re-enactment movement has nothing to do with skinheads or neo-Nazis ... The people involved in this are pretty grown-up, level headed and well-off." "If there is a re-enactment, you need an opponent." Critics have accused the Kremlin of using anti-extremism laws to stifle dissent since parliament in 2006 adopted new legislation widening the legal definition of extremism. The Kremlin says it wants to safeguard hard-won political stability from radical groups that seek to sow hatred. The new extremism legislation was used last year to bring criminal charges against a Russian academic who had written a book that was scathingly critical of President Vladimir Putin.

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www.reenactor.se

It is sad that the Prosector completely overlooks (or is he blind?) the fact that they are re-enacting a part of Soviet History where a great and glorious victory was won by millions of people at great cost.
Is the symbol of a black cross more important than recognisisng ones own great achievements ? I hope not.
UK is going through a phase of forgetting the wonderful things we have contributed to the world and concentrating on cowering and grovelling over the mistakes and percieved injustices of our history.
It is important to admit mistakes and so on but we should never belittle our achievements.
I think it sad that "The Prosectutor" and his office seem to have forgotten why all those people gave their lives in the great patriotic war.
They gave it so that people would have a life,a future and the ability to choose.
Surely choosing to represent ones history and its costs and successes is worthy of any Russian?
Why is it that on the world today country after country behaves as if it has the right to erase the past?
The soldiers of the RKKA would laugh at the Prosecutor. Then blow the tank to kingdom come !

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Name: Robert Fillipovich Soodyarov
Rank: Yefreytor
Очын приатна - Эа вас !!
Drink Tea, Be Mellow !

There's a bit on the psst axis forum about this. It started with a local being prosecuted and fined 1000 rubles for being photographed next to the German Tank.

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Guards Serjant Yevgeni Trubetskoi 2nd Gds rifle div

martin s wrote:

There's a bit on the psst axis forum about this. It started with a local being prosecuted and fined 1000 rubles for being photographed next to the German Tank.

Back in the day that would have got you shot..The person should consider themselves lucky with only a fine

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"Lenin left us a great legacy, and we have f*cked it up." I.V. Stalin, June 29, 1941

Da! Comrades, it shows that Gitleritism is Smashed now and for all time....such Counterrevolutionary behaviour as no place in a enlightened State as Comrade Putin's Siloiviki State of Russian Power....

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Listen to the Order!!..



I Serve the Soviet Union!!

This Rezident has Moscow Centre on Speed Dial!

Kozlov wrote:

martin s wrote: There's a bit on the psst axis forum about this. It started with a local being prosecuted and fined 1000 rubles for being photographed next to the German Tank. Back in the day that would have got you shot..The person should consider themselves lucky with only a fine

Jawohl, the good old days are gone forever!

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8./Kompanie Infanterie-Regiment Gro�deutschland (mot)
" Regimenter sterben zehnmahl, aber es bleibt....das Regiment."