Pavel Latushka: “The memory of the past reminds us of the need to fight against tyranny in the present”

"'Never again' is not just a phrase — it is a duty for each of us. It is a call to action to prevent any form of violence and repression, to protect those who are fighting for their freedom today — including in my country, Belarus — and to ensure that tyranny and injustice never return to our world. Totalitarianism in the modern world must be condemned to defeat", said Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet and Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM), Pavel Latushka, during a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp.

On May 11, 2025, Pavel Latushka, leading a delegation of the Belarusian democratic forces — including representatives of the People's Embassy and Belarusians living in Austria — took part in the commemorative events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp, held at the memorial complex of the same name.

The official ceremony was attended by Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, King Felipe VI of Spain, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, members of the Austrian government and parliament, Members of the European Parliament, and delegations from various countries. Among the participants were also Deputy Marshal of the Polish Senate Maciej Żywno and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Władysław Bartoszewski, with whom Pavel Latushka held brief discussions. More than 60 delegations from different countries participated in the memorial events.

The Mauthausen concentration camp was one of the largest Nazi death camps — a symbol of inhumanity and totalitarian violence. Its liberation in May 1945 marked the end of the suffering of thousands of prisoners of various nationalities, including natives of Belarus.

Representatives of the regimes of Russia and Belarus were not invited to take part in the commemorative ceremony, as since the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, they are no longer considered "welcome guests" at events dedicated to Austria’s liberation in May 1945.

Pavel Latushka, together with Belarusians living in Austria, also participated in a similar event in 2022.

During the ceremony, Latushka held talks with Austria’s Minister of Economy, Wolfgang Hatmannsdorfer, as well as separately with Petra Bayr, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Austrian Parliament. As members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Bayr and Pavel Latushka discussed cooperation within PACE and the creation of a friendship group with democratic Belarus in the Austrian parliament. Petra Bayr confirmed her willingness to initiate the formation of such a group.

"Participation in the ceremony marking the anniversary of Mauthausen’s liberation is an important symbol of commitment to the ideals of human rights and to preventing the resurgence of totalitarian regimes. The memory of the past reminds us of the need to actively resist all forms of tyranny and violence in the present", emphasized Pavel Latushka.

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