The famine that occurred in 1946–1947 on the territory of present-day Moldova is to be officially recognized as a crime against humanity committed by the Soviet totalitarian regime. The Government has approved its opinion on a draft law providing for the recognition and commemoration of the victims of this tragedy, TRIBUNA reports.

To preserve the memory of those who suffered, the draft law provides for the creation of museums, monuments and memorials. The possibility of introducing sanctions for the public denial or distortion of this tragedy is also being considered.

The draft law also provides for facilitating researchers’ access to documents from the famine period. Relevant documents are to be identified, scanned and made available electronically, without removing the originals from the archives where they are kept.

“The 1946–1947 famine affected more than 100,000 families, while this tragedy was spoken about far too little for many decades. It is important to know what happened and to preserve the memory of those who suffered,” said Minister of Culture Dan Suruceanu.

In the Republic of Moldova, the victims of the organized famine of 1946–1947 are commemorated annually on the third Saturday of April.