The monument commemorating Vasil Biľak was painted over in red. (source: SITA)
“In connection with damaging Vasil Biľak’s memorial, the law enforcement bodies will comprehensively deal with not only the severity of its damage but also with the reasons for its very creation and placement,” Prosecutor General's Office spokeswoman Andrea Predajňová said, as quoted by the Sme daily. She added that this case will be resolved by a prosecutor from the District Prosecutor’s Office in Svidník.
Former secretary of the communist party of (then) Czechoslovakia, Vasil Biľak, was hailed by Krajné Bystré natives as a man who helped the municipality when in power.
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“In the name of the Nation’s Memory Institute (ÚPN), I express a strong protest against Slovakia starting to build monuments for unpunished members and officials of criminal organisations, as evidently were the communist parties of Bohemia and Slovakia, 25 years after the end of the communist totalitarian regime,” ÚPN Chairman of the Board Ondrej Krajňák, wrote as quoted by the SITA newswire.
Krajňák added that he does not deny Biľak’s work for his home village, but he still perceives the effort with disappointment as Biľak is considered the person responsible for the invasion of armies of the Warsaw Pact in August 1968 and the ensuing occupation of Czechoslovakia.
