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Meri claimed that he was unable to control the abuses of the local authorities and withdrew from the process. For this decision he himself was prosecuted, stripped of his military honors and expelled from the
Communist Party in 1949. Meri maintained that he was targeted by the current Estonian authorities in retaliation for his
364:
On 20 May 2008 the trial against Meri began. Meri pleaded not guilty. In his defense, Meri maintained that he was appointed to monitor the compliance of the process with then-current laws and to ensure that the punitive actions were limited to the individuals specifically listed by security services.
415:
within hours of Meri's death. In a telegram to Meri's widow, Yekaterina, Medvedev wrote "Arnold Meri was an exceptional and courageous figure, who devoted his entire life to the ideals of justice, freedom and humanism. Decorated with the Hero of the Soviet Union for his feats on the battlefields of
361:. According to the Prosecutor's Office, most of the deportees were women and children, and 43 subsequently died. Meri had acknowledged taking part in the deportations, but denied responsibility. According to the BBC, Estonia's claims that genocide took place are not widely accepted.
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the Great
Patriotic War, he fought Nazism to the end of his days, and actively resisted attempts to rewrite history and whitewash those responsible for the twentieth century’s greatest tragedy, and their accomplices."
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303:, which his "home communist" faction lost, he was stripped from his posts in 1950, then stripped of his honours and expelled from the party in 1951. In order to escape potential arrest, he settled in the
914:
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retreated to the Porhov region. Meri was wounded four times during the battle while serving as a platoon commander in north-west Russia in 1941. In August 1941, he was awarded a Gold Star of the
268:. The building that housed the headquarters of the 22nd Estonian Rifle Corps in July 1941 is currently occupied by a secondary school. In 2008 the school was renamed in honour of Arnold Meri.
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in July 1941. In reality, the defense was commanded by captain Arnold
Isotamm, but he was not deemed to be suitable for the decoration, as he was not a member of the
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was inevitable and only a fool could have believed otherwise. ... Every
Estonian had only one decision to make: whose side to take in that bloody fight — the
221:
541:"Dmitry Medvedev sent a telegram of condolences on the passing of veteran of the Estonian Red Army Rifle Corps Arnold Meri to Mr Meri's widow, Yekaterina"
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Committee in
Tallinn and was instructed to create a Komsomol organization in his Estonian army unit. After the absorption of his unit into the Red Army
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for organizing the defense of the headquarters of the 22nd
Estonian Territorial Rifle Corps when the German army broke through the lines near
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264:. Meri was specifically commended for remaining on the battlefield despite being wounded four times. Meri retired from the Red Army as a
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Arnold Meri died in his sleep on 27 March 2009 at the age of 89. This automatically halted Meri's trial.
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173:. At the time of his death, Meri was an honorary chairman of the Estonian Anti-Fascist Committee.
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Members of the
Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, 1985–1990
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Members of the
Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, 1980–1985
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In 2003, the
Estonia Security Police investigated Meri for participating in the
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From 1945 to 1949, he served as the secretary of the central committee of the
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654:"Cousin of former Estonian president charged with genocide (Published 2007)"
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to the inhospitable regions of the USSR. He was a first cousin of the
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Second convocation members of the
Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union
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in 1938. After returning to Estonia, he took a job as an intern at
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Members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Estonia
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Entisen presidentin serkkua syytetään neuvostoajan kyydityksistä
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Arnold Meri's tombstone at Liiva cemetery in Tallinn, Estonia.
157:. After Estonia became independent, he was later charged with
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in a funeral which was attended by several hundred people.
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and renamed Adrian. He completed Russian primary school in
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Eesti rahvas Nõukogude Liidu Suures Isamaasõjas, 1941-1945
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activities and harsh critique of the Estonian government.
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275:. In 1948, he was awarded the highest Soviet order, the
739:В Таллине скончался Герой Советского Союза Арнольд Мери
279:. Meri's opinion on the Estonian part in World War II:
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Involvement in deportation and the charge of genocide
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Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour
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On the awarding of the Order of Honour to A.K. Meri
950:Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples
891:
758:Eesti Postimees 28 March 2009 - Suri Arnold Meri
721:Arnold Meri ei tunnistanud end genotsiidis süüdi
341:in 1949. In August 2007, three months after the
945:Recipients of the Order of the Badge of Honour
771:
16:Estonian soldier allied with the Soviet Union
153:World War II veteran and the first Estonian
955:Recipients of the Order of Honour (Russia)
570:Leonid Lentsman, Endel Sõgel, ed. (1971).
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273:Leninist Young Communist League of Estonia
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1000:Soviet military personnel of World War II
813:"Arnold Meri maeti täna Liiva kalmistule"
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419:Meri was interred on 1 April 2009 in the
990:Estonian people of Baltic German descent
795: #332 of 28.03.2009
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212:and at the Russian-Serbian Gymnasium in
161:for his role in the deportation of some
970:Recipients of the Order of the Red Star
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299:After the internal struggle within the
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782:О награждении Орденом Почета Мери А.К.
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574:(in Estonian). Tallinn: Eesti Raamat.
246:22nd Estonian Territorial Rifle Corps
230:22nd Estonian Territorial Rifle Corps
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224:in 1940, he was elected to the City
149:(1 July 1919 – 27 March 2009) was a
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200:, which was the main centre of the
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692:"Estonian war figure laid to rest"
460:Orders of the Red Banner of Labour
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940:Recipients of the Medal of Zhukov
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702:from the original on 4 April 2009
652:Chivers, C. J. (22 August 2007).
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960:Recipients of the Order of Lenin
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381:Official representatives of the
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995:Estonian people of World War II
910:Military personnel from Tallinn
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547:. 29 March 2009. Archived from
502:Связисты Герои Советского Союза
260:and had been an officer of the
811:Rudi, Hanneli (1 April 2009).
774:Президент Российской Федерации
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476:Order of Friendship of Peoples
411:posthumously awarded Meri the
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838:"Мери Арнольд Константинович"
616:When giants fought in Estonia
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181:His parents were Konstantin,
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980:People indicted for genocide
526:Estonian accused of genocide
471:Order of the Badge of Honour
307:with his new family. He was
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283:Estonia's participation in
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935:Heroes of the Soviet Union
453:Order of the Patriotic War
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437:Hero of the Soviet Union
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301:Estonian Communist Party
250:Hero of the Soviet Union
155:Hero of the Soviet Union
139:Hero of the Soviet Union
1010:Deaths from lung cancer
293:anti-Hitler coalition's
206:Russian Orthodox church
1005:Soviet rehabilitations
882:Quotations related to
466:Orders of the Red Star
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244:on 22 June 1941, the
107:Years of service
874:at Wikimedia Commons
726:2 April 2009 at the
423:on the outskirts of
242:Operation Barbarossa
167:President of Estonia
789:President of Russia
603:, 18 November 2003
545:President of Russia
406:President of Russia
240:After the start of
658:The New York Times
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355:Novosibirsk region
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455:1st and 2nd class
222:Soviet occupation
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669:. Retrieved
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512:(in Russian)
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383:Pskov region
367:anti-fascist
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343:April Events
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329:Meri in 2008
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285:World War II
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185:, and Olga,
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171:Lennart Meri
146:
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129:World War II
125:Battles/wars
89:Soviet Union
68:(2009-03-27)
18:
905:2009 deaths
900:1919 births
884:Arnold Meri
872:Arnold Meri
743:RIA Novosti
187:a Russified
183:an Estonian
147:Arnold Meri
50:1 July 1919
25:Arnold Meri
894:Categories
489:References
319:See also:
198:Yugoslavia
177:Early life
77:Allegiance
46:1919-07-01
847:5 October
817:Postimees
671:5 October
666:0362-4331
311:in 1956.
291:' or the
163:Estonians
110:1941–1945
724:Archived
700:Archived
591:Archived
505:Archived
347:genocide
226:Komsomol
214:Belgrade
159:genocide
101:Red Army
95:Service/
822:20 June
791:.
776:.
706:2 April
555:4 April
425:Tallinn
359:Siberia
353:to the
351:Hiiumaa
339:Hiiumaa
266:colonel
119:Colonel
57:Estonia
53:Tallinn
664:
431:Awards
387:wreath
210:Skopje
190:German
151:Soviet
135:Awards
97:branch
86:
373:Death
289:Nazis
192:from
849:2020
824:2010
801:. ).
793:Ukaz
778:УКАЗ
708:2009
673:2020
662:ISSN
557:2009
464:Two
458:Two
446:Two
404:The
115:Rank
63:Died
40:Born
741://
696:BBC
620:BBC
357:of
337:in
254:Dno
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44:(
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