It was established in 1992 to establish acts of violence committed by occupying powers on the territory of the Estonian Republic and against Estonian citizens.
The staff and statutes of the commission were confirmed by a decree of the Riigikogu (Parliament) on June 17, 1993 ( see RT No 40).
Writer Jaan Kross was nominated chairman. At present Professor Emeritus Vello Salo is at the head of the commission.
The commission researches the consequences of three occupations:
1. The first Soviet occupation during 1940 - 1941.
2. The German occupation during 1941 - 1944.
3. The second Soviet occupation during 1944 - 1990.
The aims of the commission are: to clarify the crimes of genocide committed during these occupations, to assess the economic damage caused to the people of Estonia and to give an objective scientific opinion on the activities of the occupying powers in Estonia.
Repression
