Asso Kommer
Encyclopedia
Asso Kommer is a former Estonia
n soldier
and a politician
.
In 1993, Kommer led a voluntary formation of the Estonian army, the Läänemaa Vabatahtlik Jäägrikompanii. The formation was ordered to requarter from Haapsalu
to Paldiski
but refused. Estonian military command responded by issuing an order relieving Kommer from duty, which Kommer did not honour, leading to the Pullapää crisis
, which ended in Kommer's conviction of several crimes and resignation of two ministers.
instructor of the Pärnu
branch of Estonian Defence League
. By 1993, he had risen to be a leader of the Läänemaa Vabatahtlike Jäägerkompanii. On 6 July 1993, his company was ordered to requarter from Haapsalu
to a former Soviet base in Paldiski
. Concerned about an inevitable confrontation with much larger Russian military units who were still quartered on the base, he refused the order on behalf of his company. Estonian authorities responded by relieving him from duty and demobilising the unit, but both of these orders were refused. By end of July, the (now demobilised) company and a number of its civilian supporters were preparing for a battle at Pullapää, but this didn't occur. Instead, Hain Rebas, then Estonian Minister of Defence
, resigned in 3 August 1993, and, the military opposition having wound down, the crisis was further handled as a criminal rather than military matter.
In 4 September 1993, Asso Kommer and two other men took a businessman, Pavel Kalmõkov, into their car in Tallinn
, and Kalmõkov ended up missing. (Later, on 9 December, Kommer directed the investigators to the place of Kalmõkov's burial.) In 26 November 1993, a firefight between Kommer and police occurred, under unclear circumstances, and Koit Pikaro and Argo Aunapuu, two police officials, end up wounded by bullets fired by Kommer. Kommer was arrested the same day. On the next day, 27 November 1993, however, Lagre Parek, Estonian Minister of Internal Affairs
, resigned over the incident.
from Lennart Meri
, then President of Estonia
, but it was denied. He was ultimately released in 1998 on account of good behaviour.
organisation's Pärnu
branch.
In 1999, a controversy emerged when it was made public that as a part of his instruction's survival training programme, he had demonstrated to his group skinning and field preparation for food of a house cat. In a public explanation, Kommer stressed that the cat hadn't been stray, nor was it stolen, but its owner, a local farmer
who was in trouble with its custom of killing chicken
s, had given it to Kommer's group.
As of 2007, Kommer is still a boy scout
instructor.
branch office of the party to reconsider. Five months later, Pärnu
branch office decided to defer the decision until 2007, possibly until after a new board of Keskerakond would be elected. As of September 2007, no final decision is known to have been published.
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
and a politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
In 1993, Kommer led a voluntary formation of the Estonian army, the Läänemaa Vabatahtlik Jäägrikompanii. The formation was ordered to requarter from Haapsalu
Haapsalu
Haapsalu is a seaside resort town located on the west coast of Estonia. It's the administrative centre of Lääne County and has a population of 11,618 ....
to Paldiski
Paldiski
Paldiski is a town and Baltic Sea port situated on the Pakri peninsula of north-western Estonia. Originally a Swedish settlement known as Rågervik, it became a Russian naval base in the 18th century. The Russians renamed it Балтийский Порт Paldiski is a town and Baltic Sea port situated on the...
but refused. Estonian military command responded by issuing an order relieving Kommer from duty, which Kommer did not honour, leading to the Pullapää crisis
Pullapää crisis
The Pullapää crisis of 1993 was a series of events involving military rebellion, possibly vigilantism, firefight and resignation of two Estonian ministers.- Chronology :...
, which ended in Kommer's conviction of several crimes and resignation of two ministers.
Pullapää crisis
In 1991, Kommer became a shooting rangeShooting range
A shooting range or firing range is a specialized facility designed for firearms practice. Each facility is typically overseen by one or more supervisory personnel, called variously a range master or "RSO – Range Safety Officer" in the United States or a range conducting officer or "RCO" in the UK...
instructor of the Pärnu
Pärnu
Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
branch of Estonian Defence League
Estonian Defence League
The Estonian Defence League is the name of the unified paramilitary armed forces of the Republic of Estonia. The Defence League is a paramilitary defence organization which aim is to guarantee the preservation of the independence and sovereignty of the state, the integrity of its land area and its...
. By 1993, he had risen to be a leader of the Läänemaa Vabatahtlike Jäägerkompanii. On 6 July 1993, his company was ordered to requarter from Haapsalu
Haapsalu
Haapsalu is a seaside resort town located on the west coast of Estonia. It's the administrative centre of Lääne County and has a population of 11,618 ....
to a former Soviet base in Paldiski
Paldiski
Paldiski is a town and Baltic Sea port situated on the Pakri peninsula of north-western Estonia. Originally a Swedish settlement known as Rågervik, it became a Russian naval base in the 18th century. The Russians renamed it Балтийский Порт Paldiski is a town and Baltic Sea port situated on the...
. Concerned about an inevitable confrontation with much larger Russian military units who were still quartered on the base, he refused the order on behalf of his company. Estonian authorities responded by relieving him from duty and demobilising the unit, but both of these orders were refused. By end of July, the (now demobilised) company and a number of its civilian supporters were preparing for a battle at Pullapää, but this didn't occur. Instead, Hain Rebas, then Estonian Minister of Defence
Estonian Minister of Defence
The Minister of Defence is the senior minister at the Ministry of Defence in the Estonian Government...
, resigned in 3 August 1993, and, the military opposition having wound down, the crisis was further handled as a criminal rather than military matter.
In 4 September 1993, Asso Kommer and two other men took a businessman, Pavel Kalmõkov, into their car in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, and Kalmõkov ended up missing. (Later, on 9 December, Kommer directed the investigators to the place of Kalmõkov's burial.) In 26 November 1993, a firefight between Kommer and police occurred, under unclear circumstances, and Koit Pikaro and Argo Aunapuu, two police officials, end up wounded by bullets fired by Kommer. Kommer was arrested the same day. On the next day, 27 November 1993, however, Lagre Parek, Estonian Minister of Internal Affairs
Estonian Minister of Internal Affairs
The Minister of Internal Affairs is the senior minister at the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Estonian Government.-Ministers of Internal Affairs:List of ministes of Internal Affairs since 1990....
, resigned over the incident.
Sentence
On 26 November 1993, Kommer was convicted of unlawful imprisonment, resisting arrest with lethal force (he wounded two policemen, Koit Pikaro and Argo Aunapuu), and of military rebellion, and sentenced to six years and six months of imprisonment. He requested a pardonPardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
from Lennart Meri
Lennart Meri
Lennart Georg Meri was a writer, film director and statesman who served as the second President of Estonia from 1992 to 2001. Meri was a leader of the Estonian independence movement.-Early life:...
, then President of Estonia
President of Estonia
The President of the Republic is the head of state of the Republic of Estonia.Estonia is a parliamentary republic, therefore President is mainly a symbolic figure and holds no executive power. The President has to suspend his membership in any political party for his term in office...
, but it was denied. He was ultimately released in 1998 on account of good behaviour.
Feud with Koit Pikaro
During arrest of Kommer, he shot several bullets into a leg of Koit Pikaro, then an employee of Estonian police, under circumstances that are not entirely clear. This began a long feud between him and Pikaro, mostly manifested by occasional hostile statements made in public press.Professional affairs
Having been released from imprisonment, Kommer became an instructor of the Estonian boy scoutBoy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
organisation's Pärnu
Pärnu
Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
branch.
In 1999, a controversy emerged when it was made public that as a part of his instruction's survival training programme, he had demonstrated to his group skinning and field preparation for food of a house cat. In a public explanation, Kommer stressed that the cat hadn't been stray, nor was it stolen, but its owner, a local farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
who was in trouble with its custom of killing chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
s, had given it to Kommer's group.
As of 2007, Kommer is still a boy scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
instructor.
Recent political activity
In 31 May 2006, Kommer applied for membership of Keskerakond, a party whose member Pikaro had been for many years. Pikaro, in line with this feud, issued a statement opposing acceptance of Kommer into the party. Ain Seppik, who back in 1993 had belonged in a commission investigating Kommer's activities and who is now a member of the board of Keskerakond supported Pikaro's opposition, leading to the board not accepting the application, and requesting the local PärnuPärnu
Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
branch office of the party to reconsider. Five months later, Pärnu
Pärnu
Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
branch office decided to defer the decision until 2007, possibly until after a new board of Keskerakond would be elected. As of September 2007, no final decision is known to have been published.