MAE condemns any anti-Semitic gestures, in reference to foul play on 'Elie Wiesel' Memorial House

Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) expresses its regret and strongly condemns and anti-Semitic gestures, with respect to the foul play committed on the 'Elie Wiesel' Memorial House in Sighetu Marmatiei of the Peace Nobel Prize Laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel.

According to a press release sent on Saturday, MAE condemns any behavioural or language misconduct which promotes intolerance and xenophobia.

"Throughout the entire period when it held the Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), Romania carried out all efforts so that such discourse be combated in any context. The Foreign Affairs Ministry reiterates that the promotion of diversity, respect for the other, the equality of the citizens towards the others in relation to the rights, fundamental freedoms and obligations represent essential principles for the development of a democratic society," reads the MAE press release.

MAE reaffirms its commitment to further contribute, through the instruments at the disposal of diplomacy, to consolidating legislative and institutional mechanism, capable of preventing and sanctioning anti-Semitism, as well as any other manifestation of racism, xenophobia, racial discrimination and intolerance, the source further mentions.

Police officers with the Maramures County Police Inspectorate have kicked off on Saturday an investigation into the incident that occurred the previous evening, when the front walls of the "Elie Wiesel" Memorial House in the County of Sighetu Marmatiei were vandalised with three, red-sprayed, anti-Semitic messages.

According to a press release of the Maramures County Police Inspectorate, an investigation is currently underway in view of identifying the perpetrators and prosecuting them. There are surveillance cameras in the area where the Memorial House is and the footage will be analysed by the police officers who already have a pool of suspects.

Moreover, the head of the Maramuresc County Council, Gabriel Zetea, stated that the institution he represents condemns such anti-Semitic manifestations and shows full availability to support the authorities with anything they might need for the culprits to be identified and punished for their deeds.

The above mentioned release reminds that the Romanian-born American Jewish writer and philosopher Elie Wiesel, Nobel Prize for Peace Laureate, was awarded the Honorary Citizen distinction (posthumously) of the Maramures County, based on the Maramures County Council Decision no. 179 of 29 September 2016.AGERPRES (RO - editor: Oana Popescu; EN - author/editor: Simona Iacob)