RIGA, March 16 (LETA) - The people, who are called Legionnaires, cannot be considered heroes of Latvia, Simon Wiesenthal Center Director Efraim Zuroff told reporters after observing the procession commemorating WWII Latvian Legion soldiers in downtown Riga today.

"These people do not deserve to be here as they fought on Nazi Germany's side," said Zuroff.

Zuroff called the popular notion that the Legionnaires were fighting for the freedom of Latvia, a "myth".

People who "glorify Nazism" are not heroes, he added.

A participant in the procession, a victim of deportation to Siberia by Soviet authorities, opposed Zuroff, but he refused to respond and walked away.

As reported, over 1,000 people participated in the procession to the Freedom Monument today to commemorate the WWII Latvian Legion.

leta.lv