On November 22, 1999, the third session of the Estonian International Commission for the Investigation of Crimes against Humanity took place in Tallinn. Max Jakobson, the Chairman of the Commission, and the members, Nicholas Lane, Peter Reddaway and Arseny Roginsky were present. The session consisted of a working meeting, and a lunch hosted by Lennart Meri, President of the Republic of Estonia, in honour of the members of the Commission.

As it was decided on the 2nd session of the Commission, which took place on June 7, 1999, the Commission's research would, up to the middle of the year 2000, mostly concentrate on the investigation of the German occupation period (1941–1944). The detailed research programme on the period of German occupation was approved on the meeting of June 7, 1999. The research results would be collected into the interim report, which would be published by autumn of the year 2000. The investigation of crimes against humanity perpetrated during the Soviet occupation of 1940-1941 will start in spring 2000 (part of the issues related to that period have already been investigated), and would have to be complete by autumn of the year 2001, when the second interim report would be published. Thereafter, the research would continue with the investigation of crimes against humanity committed after the year 1944.

On the meeting of November 22, 1999, the members of the commission discussed the questions pertaining to the research work already completed. It was stated that as a considerable amount of important records are in the archives of Russia and Germany, and therefore it was planned to send some of the Commission's researchers to the archives of those countries to study the records relevant for Estonia contained there. The Commission's next meeting will take place in the first half of June 2000.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, November 22, 1999

back | archive of press releases | main page