Svoboda leader Tyahnybok to attend UPA commemorative event July 18-20 in Ivano-Frankivsk oblast

July16200820:06

A 20-th commemorative event, Yavoryna-2008, in honor of UPA Oleni military school staff and OUN Commander Yaroslav Melnyk, is to be held in Roztoky valley near Lypy, Dolyna rayon July 18-20, Svoboda rayon branch spokesman told ZIK July 16. The event will be attended by Oleh Tyahnybok, the leader of the nationalist Svoboda party.

Following O.Tyahnybok’s speech back in 2004 at the graves of UPA fighters at the top of the Yavoryna Mount which was filmed by the Inter TV channel, anti-Ukrainian lawmakers in VR sued him for allegedly fanning interethnic feelings. Pres Yushchenko announced the same day that O. Tyahnybok was expelled from Our Ukraine faction.

However, Feb 14, 2005, a court in Ivano-Frankivsk invalidated the decision by the prosecution to open a criminal investigation against Tyahnybok. Meanwhile, Tyahnybok filed a lawsuit against Inter and Hennady Moskal who was one of the initiators of investigation against the Svoboda leader.

Comment by ZIK

The first Yavoryna commemorative event was held in 1988. In 1944, the staff and guards of the UPA Oleni military school died in a battle with NKVD troops. OUN Commander Yaroslav Melnyk (“Robert”) also died nearby on Oct. 31, 1946.
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