MOSCOW, October 30 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that victims of political repression should be commemorated so that no one will be tempted to resurrect past practices.
Russia remembers past victims of political repression on October 30 each year. The Day of Soviet Political Prisoners was first commemorated in 1974, and became a day dedicated to the memory of those who suffered following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Putin said that government and law enforcement agencies should make every effort to identify all the victims of repression.
"Today we commemorate the victims of political repression," Putin told a Cabinet meeting. "Above all, law enforcement agencies should provide the public with all relevant information that can be used in their rehabilitation."
Some 1.5 million people fell victim to Soviet political terror, and their names have been included on the Internet as part of the day's remembrances.
