National House of Representatives
Buenos Aires, April 6th 2006
The President of the Russian Confederation
Mr. Vladimir PutinRecent history includes chapters full of aberrations which have not yet been reported in their entire truth. There is no doubt that all those that ” disappeared”, no matter what their ideology might have been, are an affront to the democratic and civilized order of the nations. It is a well known fact that no one should be convicted or punished without a previous trial, during which his rights for a legitimate defense are guaranteed.
No matter what the person is accused of: only the rule of the Law must establish if he is guilty or innocent. In times of crisis these principles are not obvious. In the great upheavels that stir societies, great acts of injustice take place, throwing a shadow of mistrust over men’ s good will. No more can be added when innocent men, not guilty ones, are ill-treated by the all-embracing powers which, cynically protected by messianic and foolish ideologies, take upon themselves the ability to judge and punish everybody.
What sort of man was Raoul Wallenberg, but a just and innocent one?
What other reasons, apart from honor and pity could have induced him to sacrifice his life to save those of other hundreds of thousands?
What impulse of fraternity for the people pursued, made him face the Nazi savagery in its worst moment when their defeat was obvious and their homicidal fury was let loose in complete anarchy, without any control?
Mr. President, wrong has already been done. It is impossible to repair all the damage caused to a solidary man of great courage, who was uselessly sacrificed at a moment when human lives were worth much less than the bullets that cut them short. During that period when humanity reached an extreme feeling of violence and the Second World War was coming to an end, Raoul Wallenberg ”disappeared” in the hands of the Soviet authorities. We can’ t judge the Soviets for this presumed mistake, because in the general madness that swept through the agony of the Third Reich, everybody, except the victims, made mistakes and had plenty of motives to deplore the many mistakes committed.
After 61 years from those tragic days, it is not important to know who were those responsible, but to know only the nude truth of the facts. Both Raoul Wallenberg’ s memory and his family have the right to know what became of his honorable life up to his last minutes. Mr. President, it is for this reason that I am joining the long list of personalities who are just as touched as I am, to request that you disclose that fundamental and unknown part of the life and death of Raoul Wallenberg.
His courageous and altruistic personality deserves, after so many years of his disappearance, to rest in the peace of the Righteous.
Being sure of the good will that guides you as President of your great nation, it is an honor for me to send you my kindest regards.
Jorge Reinaldo Vanossi
Argentine Congressman
Translation: María Pensavalle
