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Arnold Meri (b. 1919) is an Estonian veteran of World War II, a Hero of the Soviet Union and has been charged with crimes against humanity. He is the cousin of former President of Estonia, Lennart Meri. Currently he is the chairman of the Estonian Anti-Fascist Committee.

Meri voluntarily joined the Red Army in 1940. He was wounded in battle while serving as a platoon commander in north-west Russia in 1941. In August 1941 he was awarded a Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union for organizing the defense of the headquarters of the Estonian Territorial Corps when the German army broke through the lines near Dno. In reality, the defense was commanded by captain Georg Loog, but he was not deemed to be suitable for the decoration, as he was not a member of the Communist Party and had been an officer of the Estonian Army. Meri retired from the Red Army as a colonel.

From 1945 to 1949 he served as the secretary of the central committee of Komsomol in Estonia. In 1948 he was awarded the highest Soviet order, the Order of Lenin.

Meri's opinion on the Estonian part in World War II:

Estonia's participation in World War II was inevitable and only a fool could have believed otherwise. ... Every Estonian had only one decision to make: whose side to take in that bloody fight—the Nazis' or the anti-Hitler coalition's.

Charge of Genocide

In 2003, the Estonia Security Police investigated Meri for participating in the deportations of Estonians in Hiiumaa in 1949. In August 2007, Estonian Western Circuit Prosecutor’s Office formally charged Arnold Meri with genocide, for allegedly organising the deportation of 251 Estonian civilians from the island of Hiiumaa to the Novosibirsk region of Siberia. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, most of the deportees were women and children, and 43 subsequently died. Meri has acknowledged taking part in the deportations, but denies responsibility.

On 20 May 2008 the trial aginast Meri began. Meri plead not guilty.

References

1. Связисты Герои Советского Союза Template:Ru icon
2. ^ Estonian accused of genocide
3. Red Army veteran facing genocide charge
4. Leonid Lentsman, Endel Sõgel, ed. (1971). Eesti rahvas Nõukogude Liidu Suures Isamaasõjas, 1941-1945. 1 (in Estonian). Tallinn: Eesti Raamat.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
5. ^ Võõrad Suled - Eesti Ekspress, November 18, 2003 Template:Et icon
6. When giants fought in Estonia - BBC, May 9, 2007
7. Entisen presidentin serkkua syytetään neuvostoajan kyydityksistä - Baltic Guide
8. ^ Cousin of former Estonian president charged with genocide
9. Arnold Meri ei tunnistanud end genotsiidis süüdi

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