Scots are being urged to light a candle in the windows of their home tonight as part of Holocaust Memorial Day.
The annual event remembers the six million Jews who were murdered at the hands of the Nazis during World War II.
January 27 also marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, which was the largest Nazi death camp.
Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) also seeks to raise awareness to other victims of persecution throughout history and around the world - including genocides in Darfur and Bosnia.
The HMD website explains: “Holocaust Memorial Day is a time when we seek to learn the lessons of the past and recognise that genocide does not just take place on its own - it’s a steady process which can begin if discrimination, racism and hatred are not checked and prevented.
“We’re fortunate here in the UK; we are not at immediate risk of genocide.
“However, discrimination has not ended, nor has the use of the language of hatred or exclusion. There is still much to do to create a safer future and HMD is an opportunity to start this process.”
As part of this year’s event, officials are urging Scots to put a candle in their window at 8pm this evening.
They are then encouraged to upload a photo of their candle on social media by using the hashtags #HolocaustMemorialDay and #LightTheDarkness.
The UK played a leading role in establishing HMD as an international day of commemoration in 2000, when 46 governments signed the Stockholm Declaration.
In May 2005, Holocaust Memorial Day trust was registered as a charity and to date it has overseen massive growth of local HMD activities.
Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp, just west of Krakow in Poland was liberated by the Soviets in 1945.
It is estimated that some 1.1million people were killed at Auschwitz and Auschwitz II-Birkenau during the second world war.
The real number will likely never be known as it is only possible to count the recorded deaths that occurred but many more will have taken place.
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