The actions of the Latvian authorities and law enforcement agencies in relation to Russian-speaking journalists are in violation of the basic principles of freedom of speech.

This was announced at the Russian Embassy in the republic.

On the eve, the employees of the Latvian State Security Service conducted a series of arrests and searches at the journalists of Sputnik Latvia and the portal Baltnews, who collaborated with the agency MIA "Russia Today".

“The fight against dissent, a clear violation of the fundamental principles of freedom of speech and expression, it would seem, is in no way combined with the status of an“ enlightened European state ”.

No matter how it is - in Latvia the campaign to squeeze objectionable media continues to gain momentum, "- said in a statement of the Russian diplomatic mission in Riga.

The embassy said that the local special services used a "full range of repressive measures" against journalists: detentions, interrogations, searches and criminal charges.

“Apparently, in an effort to cleanse the media space from alternative sources of information, here they are ready to go beyond all conceivable limits.

Really, this time too, the proper reaction will not follow from Latvia's EU partners and relevant international organizations? "

- the statement of the embassy says.

Recall that on December 3, the Latvian security forces detained and searched six people, including Andrei Yakovlev, the former head of the news portal Baltnews, journalists Andrei Solopenko and Alla Berezovskaya, publicist and human rights activist Vladimir Linderman.

Sputnik Latvia clarified that all the detainees were employees of the Russian-language media or public organizations.

  • Sputnik agency

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  • © Igor Russak

Andrei Yakovlev said that representatives of the Latvian State Security Service conducted a search at his home and office, during which devices and storage media were seized, after which he was interrogated for many hours.

“I had to stop by the State Security Service for the first interrogation.

The communication took a full working day - eight hours, ”Yakovlev wrote on his Facebook.

He also said that he is involved in a criminal case on violation of the sanctions regime.

“Several months ago I received a paper from the State Security Service, where it was reported about the initiation of criminal proceedings under Article 84 (1), related to the violation of Latvian and international sanctions.

Violations of the EU sanctions are, for example, commodity-money relations with Russian individuals and legal entities on the sanctions list.

Up to four years in prison, by the way, ”the journalist wrote.

In turn, Alla Berezovskaya said that the search at her house lasted for several hours.

The journalist said that the employees of the State Security Service of Latvia arrived at her late time and confiscated all means of communication.

“I hope the dark times will pass.

And we will again live in a democratic, free and prosperous Latvia, where people are not dragged through the lawlessness by the Gestapo, where in practice, and not in words, human rights and his views are respected! "

- wrote Berezovskaya on Facebook.

Imma Jansone, a lawyer for Berezovskaya and Solonenko, told Ruptly that a case was opened under Article 84 of the Latvian Criminal Law - a violation of EU, UN or other international organizations' sanctions.

All the participants in the case signed a non-disclosure agreement, so the lawyer could not tell the details of the case and what the journalists were charged with.

The punishment under this article is punishable by a monetary fine up to four years in prison.

With regard to the suspects, a preventive measure was chosen in the form of a ban on leaving the country without the permission of the investigator, added Imma Jansone. 

The Russian Foreign Ministry called the detention of journalists "a blatant example of violating the foundations of a democratic society - freedom of the media and expression."

The Russian department especially noted that the pretext for the detention of journalists is far-fetched due to the personal nature of the sanctions against the head of "Russia Today" Dmitry Kiselev.

“All this is a real punitive action that leaves no doubt about the Russophobic implications of the trumped-up accusations,” they said in Moscow.

The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that the issue of this incident will be raised in the OSCE, and expressed the hope that the new OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media will not ignore what is happening and in the course of his future work will point out to Latvia that such attacks on the media are unacceptable, as well as the need to fulfill international obligations in the field of ensuring freedom of speech.

The head of the Union of Journalists of Russia (UJR), Vladimir Solovyov, in an interview with RT, called the actions of the Latvian authorities absolutely unacceptable and illegal.

“Once again, one of the Baltic countries is engaged in blatant violation of freedom of the press and freedom of information dissemination.

Once again, there is pressure on Russian-speaking journalists.

Absolutely unacceptable action.

We are deeply outraged and, of course, will try to help our colleagues.

We, of course, will report this information to the International Federation of Journalists and other human rights organizations, "- said the head of the UJR. \\\

Discrimination and pressure

It should be noted that this year Latvia has significantly increased pressure on Russian-speaking journalists and Russian media.

So, according to human rights activists, since 2019, banks of the republic, without explanation, began to block and close the accounts of journalists of Russian-language publications, despite the fact that this is a violation of the directive of the European Parliament, according to which a resident of a country - a member of the European Union has the right to open an account in any EU state for basic payments.

He can only be refused if he is involved in money laundering, fraud or terrorist financing.

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  • © Anton Denisov

In February, the State Security Service of Latvia conducted searches in the office of the Baltic Media Alliance, which broadcast Russian-language TV channels in the country.

Subsequently, the State Security Service of Latvia reported that the searches were carried out as part of a criminal process on violation of EU sanctions.

In June, the broadcasting of seven television channels was banned by the decision of the Latvian National Council for Electronic Media: RT, RT HD, RT Arabic, RT Spanish, RT Documentary HD, RT Documentary and RT TV.

Personal sanctions against the general director of MIA Rossiya Segodnya Dmitry Kiselev were also indicated as the reason.

At the same time, the post of the editor-in-chief of RT, in charge of the work of television channels, is occupied by Margarita Simonyan, who is not subject to EU sanctions.

Director of the Institute of Newest States, political scientist Alexei Martynov, in an interview with RT, emphasized that regional media outlets that have been working in Latvia for many years and have received separate registration have nothing to do with personal sanctions against Dmitry Kiselev, therefore the pretext of the Latvian authorities for their actions against journalists is far-fetched.

But, according to the expert, from the point of view of Latvia, provisions on freedom of speech or human rights do not apply to Russian-speaking journalists.

“Human rights and all other rights, including freedom of speech, exist only for people who have been conditionally appointed by the Western community.

From their point of view, this is not an all-encompassing principle, and everyone else should not have such rights, ”the political scientist noted.

In turn, the executive director of the CIS-EMO monitoring organization Stanislav Byshok said in a conversation with RT that the idea is widespread in the Baltics that Russia is negatively affecting the information field of the region's countries.

“There is a certain consensus in Western countries and the EU as a whole that Russian informational influence is generally negative.

Therefore, if these media and journalists complain to the European authorities, it is unlikely that it will help them, ”the political scientist believes.

Russian-speaking journalists are not perceived as citizens who need to be provided with any assistance, Byshok said.

“Now there are two problems: small and large.

Little one refers directly to Latvia and its difficulties in relations with Russia.

And the big one is that these small countries are embedded in the European political and media systems, in the EU, where they do not consider it necessary to protect the rights of journalists associated with Russia, ”the expert concluded.