MOSCOW, May 8 (RIA Novosti) – Crimean authorities will not allow a “revival of fascism” in the region ahead of Victory Day on May 9, Crimea’s acting head Sergei Aksyonov said in a post on his Facebook page Thursday.
“We will not allow the re-evaluation of the Great history of 1941-1945, the revival of fascism. Our strong and flourishing Russia, the beloved Crimea, was and will remain a grand monument to our heroes,” he wrote.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently signed a low providing for a jail term of up to 5 years as punishment for the rehabilitation of fascism, spreading false information about the Soviet Union’s actions during World War II, and the denial of facts stated in the Nuremberg trials, which punished Nazi leaders after the war.
Crimea, previously an autonomous republic within Ukraine, refused to recognize the legitimacy of the government in Kiev which seized power as a result of a coup in February, instead rejoining Russia following a secession referendum.