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Prior to the
large-scale deportations on June 13 and 14, 1941, of Latvian citizens, many
Latvian statesmen and prominent official persons and politicians were arrested
and deported by individual orders. The above is an example of such an order,
issued on July 31, 1940, by V. Lacis who was Vice-Premier and Minister of
Internal Affairs of the then Latvian "People's Government". The order refers to
the deportation of the former Minister of War, General J. Balodis. [Our
translation follows...]
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Edict.
In accordance with the Cabinet of Ministers' resolution
based on with the 1938 law on national order and security, the cabinet
of Ministers in its 31. [unclear] July session this
year resolved to eject from the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic territory and
deport to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics the former minister of war
Janis Balodis together with his family members.
This edict takes effect July 31, 1940.
Riga, July 31, 1940
[the text below is
unclear and appears
to be in different handwriting]
Vilis
Lacis
acting Ministry President
[v.i. meaning acting
in the position of] |
Many Latvian
citizens who had been condemned or had simply been missing, were afterwards
exhumed from secret NKVD mass graves. The shooting of the victims was executed
without a previous court sentence, on the ground of a simple order. Appendix 7
shows the last page of a list containing the names of 78 executed Latvians and,
at the end, a remark written in Russian and signed by S. Shustin, Commissar of
NKGB: "Considering the social danger they represent, all must be shot." S.
Shustin. June 26, 1941. |
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