Europos Parlamento nariai iš Lietuvos (tarp jų ir visi trys ELP frakcijos nariai Laima Liucija Andrikienė, Algirdas Saudargas ir Antanas Guoga), Latvijos, Estijos, Vokietijos, Nyderlandų, Jungtinės Karalystės, Suomijos, Kroatijos, Lenkijos, Slovakijos, Vengrijos, Portugalijos ir Ispanijos laišku kreipėsi į JAV prekybos bendrovės „Amazon“ įkūrėją ir savininką Jeffą Bezosą, reikalaudami nutraukti prekių pardavimą su Sovietų Sąjungos, kūjo ir pjautuvo, simbolika „Amazon Inc“ platformoje.
Prekės, tokios kaip marškinėliai, kostiumai, vėliavos ir kitokia atributika su kūjo ir pjautuvo simboliais, šlovina totalitarinį sovietinį režimą ir tuo pačiu parodo, kad „Amazon“ nejaučia jokios pagarbos, užuojautos ir solidarumo milijonams Europos piliečių, kurie yra ir „Amazon“ vartotojai.
Europarlamentarai smerkia totalitarinių režimų, kurie sistemingai pažeidinėjo žmogaus teises, slopino laisvę ir demokratiją, simbolių naudojimą – ar tai būtų nacių, ar sovietų režimų simbolika.
Laiško autoriai ragina „Amazon Inc“ sekti amerikiečių prekybos tinklo „Walmart“ ir vokiečių sporto prekių gamintojo „Adidas“ pavyzdžiu, kurie iš prekybos jau išėmė prekes su sovietine simbolika, ir pademonstruoti kompanijos socialinę atsakomybę, nepardavinėjant totalitarinių režimų simboliais paženklintų prekių, siekiant demokratinių vertybių ir tautų laisvės visoje Europoje.
Ačiū kolegai Antanui Guogai už iniciatyvą!
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Jeff Bezos
CEO of Amazon Inc
410 Terry Ave. North, Seattle
98109 Washington
Brussels, November 15th, 2018
Subject: Joint open letter regarding selling the goods with Soviet symbols on Amazon
Dear Jeff Bezos,
We, the undersigned MEPs from Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Finland, Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Portugal, Spain, request the discontinuation of sales of goods with the hammer and sickle symbol, representing the Soviet Union, on the Amazon Inc platform. Goods such as t-shirts, costumes, flags, memorabilia and more, with symbols of the hammer and sickle, glorify the totalitarian Soviet regime and thereby demonstrate lack of compassion to millions of European citizens who are Amazon Inc customers as well.
Regardless of our political spectrum, we, the undersigned MEPs, condemn the use of above-mentioned symbols of totalitarian regimes - Nazi or Soviet - regimes that systematically abused human rights, suppressed freedom and democracy. The total number of victims of the Soviet Regime is estimated to more than 60 million. Over 10 million people were sent to working camps in Siberia, where they endured inhumane living conditions, forced labour, starvation and physical violence. The bloody actions, terror and inhumanity of the Soviet regime affected nearly every family in the formerly occupied countries. The tragic consequences of these actions are felt to this day.
On 2 April 2009 the European Parliament adopted the resolution on European conscience and totalitarianism. It condemned totalitarian crimes and called for the recognition of "Communism, Nazism and fascism as a shared legacy" and "an honest and thorough debate on all the totalitarian crimes of the past century." Countries across the globe have condemned the crimes against humanity and massive human rights violations committed by the totalitarian Soviet regime. Numerous countries in Europe have adopted laws banning symbols of mass murders of totalitarian regimes. Many more are on track to do likewise. In 2011 the European Court of Justice banned the Soviet Union’s hammer and sickle symbol from being used as a commercial trademark as it is "a symbol of despotism" in some EU countries.
We believe that Amazon Inc does not intend to show support or promote the symbols of the Soviet Union. We therefore call on Amazon Inc to review its policy regarding selling the goods with Soviet symbols immediately. We request Amazon Inc to consider in this evaluation the victims of the Soviet regime as well as those who fought against tyranny and oppression. We encourage Amazon Inc to
respond to the calls and requests coming from all over Europe to discontinue selling the goods with
Soviet symbols in the same manner as it has done with the goods displaying Nazi symbols.
We congratulated American retailer Walmart Inc for stepping up by withdrawing merchandise with
Soviet symbols in September. We supported the decision of German sports gear maker Adidas to
discontinue selling clothes with Soviet symbols in May.
We are hopeful that Amazon Inc can follow suit and demonstrate corporate responsibility against the
sales of symbols of totalitarian regimes, for the sake of democratic values and freedom of Nations
across Europe.
Sincerely,
MEP Antanas Guoga
MEP Laima Liucija Andrikienė
MEP Petras Auštrevičius
MEP Zigmantas Balčytis
MEP Vilija Blinkevičiūtė
MEP Elmar Brok
MEP José Inácio Faria
MEP Igor Gräzin
MEP Theresa Griffin
MEP Sandra Kalniete
MEP Krišjānis Kariņš
MEP Bernd Kölmel
MEP Ádám Kósa
MEP Merja Kyllönen
MEP Valentinas Mazuronis
MEP Urmas Paet
MEP Julia Pitera
MEP Bronis Ropė
MEP Algirdas Saudargas
MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski
MEP Annie Schreijer-Pierik
MEP Dobromir Sośnierz
MEP Ruža Tomašić
MEP Ramon Tremosa-i-Balcells
MEP Inese Vaidere
MEP Anna Záborská
MEP Kosma Złotowski