August 23 is the Europe-Wide Day of Remembrance for the Victims of All Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes, established by the European Parliament in 2008. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed on this day, in 1939 allowed Germany under Hitler and the Soviet Union under Stalin divide most of Europe. In addition to dividing the countries between each other, the two totalitarian regimes terrorized the citizens of the occupied areas with concentration camps, gulags, forced labor, crematoria and the cold war.
This year, the European Remembrance and Solidarity Network intends to inaugurate a long-term project, which aims to inform Europeans about August 23, a symbol of remembrance for the victims of totalitarian regimes in the 20th century, those who perished under of the “Brown and Red” terror.
Last year the ceremonies took place in Hungary. This year, justice ministers and representatives of ministries are meeting with young people from European countries in Lithuania.
Meanwhile, in our country, a ceremony was held in tribute to the victims of communism at the internment camp in Tepelena. The commemorative ceremony as well as a scientific symposium were organized by the Authority for Information on Former State Security Documents.