The Nation's Memory Institute has protested against the unveiling of a memorial plaque to former communist Prosecutor-General and Justice Minister Ján Pješčak on the building of the mayor's office in his native village of Veľký Lipník. The Institute is the state body in charge of researching Slovakia's totalitarian past. It describes the plaque which was unveiled on May 15 as the de-facto rehabilitation of a former communist exponent and of whitewashing the past. "In the name of all the victims of the totalitarian communist regime, I strongly protest against the building of memorials 26 years after the end of communist totality to unpunished members and exponents of criminal organisations such as the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia [KSC] and the Communist Party of Slovakia [KSS]", said the chairman of the institute's board of directors Ondrej Krajňák. He called on democratic powers in Slovakia to join the protest and condemn an initiative that defiles the memory of the victims of communist totality.
Police have launched an investigation into a brutal physical assault by Veľký Lipník Mayor Peter Labant on artist Ľuboš Lorenz, who was attempting to paint over the plaque, on Saturday. Meanwhile the Communist Party of Slovakia (KSS) has called for a fair and impartial investigation of this incident. The party also strongly condemns acts of media bullying, which it believes have targeted the mayor.
