EU honours memory of victims of Soviet deportations in Moldova

Today, the EU Delegation to Moldova honours the memory of the victims of Soviet deportations in Moldova.

On 1 April 1951, the third wave of Stalinist deportations from the Republic of Moldova began, known under the code name ‘Operation North’. 

“Unlike in previous years, this campaign was directed against freedom of conscience: more than 2,600 people were forcibly evicted on religious grounds,” the EU Delegation says in a Facebook post.

On the night of 31 March to 1 April, more than 720 families were sent in freight wagons to the Tomsk and Irkutsk regions of Siberia, where they were subjected to forced labour and stripped of their property. 

“This episode of political and ideological repression during the Soviet era left a deep mark on the history of local communities and in the collective memory,” the Delegation’s post reads.

The Delegation also reaffirms the importance of protecting fundamental human rights, including freedom of conscience and human dignity: “Upholding these values remains fundamental to building a democratic and secure society.”

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Press release