EU state MP says parents raided after Russian-language scandal
A Latvian MP has claimed his parents' home was raided in what he called an effort to intimidate him for defending the right of ethnic Russians in the country to speak their language. Alexey Roslikov, who is being investigated for inciting hatred over a recent speech in parliament, was reportedly briefly detained and released on Monday.
In his address to the Saeima earlier this month, Roslikov accused the government of persecuting Latvia's Russian minority, who make up roughly 25% of the population. He concluded his remarks in Russian and was escorted out for violating parliamentary rules established in May that mandate using only the Latvian language.
The authorities launched a probe against the lawmaker, accusing him of aiding an 'aggressor state' [Russia] against Latvia. The country's State Security Service (VDD) confirmed conducting searches at properties linked to the MP, local media reported Monday.
Several members of Roslikov's For Stability! party reported his detention. The lawmaker later posted a video on social media stating he had been barred from leaving the country while the VDD probe continues. He has accused the authorities of targeting his family in an effort to apply psychological pressure.
'They searched my place, they even searched my parents' place, they searched everything they could,' he said.
Roslikov maintained that no evidence links him to Russia and described the allegations as a pretext for a more invasive investigation. He dismissed claims that advocating for the rights of ethnic Russians amounts to a criminal act.
The June 5 speech marked Roslikov's final address in the national legislature before he relinquished his mandate five days later. On June 7, he was elected to Riga's municipal legislature, and under Latvian law, he cannot serve in both roles. His resignation stripped him of the prosecutorial immunity afforded to MPs.
Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Latvia and its Baltic neighbors, Estonia and Lithuania, have ramped up enforcement actions against individuals and organizations suspected of Russian ties.
Among the measures taken by Riga are mandatory Latvian language exams for ethnic Russians. Hundreds of people have reportedly been deported for failing the exam or refusing to take it.
Moscow has repeatedly accused the Baltic states of pursuing discriminatory policies against ethnic Russians driven by nationalist motives.
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Russia Today
5 days ago
- Russia Today
EU state MP says parents raided after Russian-language scandal
A Latvian MP has claimed his parents' home was raided in what he called an effort to intimidate him for defending the right of ethnic Russians in the country to speak their language. Alexey Roslikov, who is being investigated for inciting hatred over a recent speech in parliament, was reportedly briefly detained and released on Monday. In his address to the Saeima earlier this month, Roslikov accused the government of persecuting Latvia's Russian minority, who make up roughly 25% of the population. He concluded his remarks in Russian and was escorted out for violating parliamentary rules established in May that mandate using only the Latvian language. The authorities launched a probe against the lawmaker, accusing him of aiding an 'aggressor state' [Russia] against Latvia. The country's State Security Service (VDD) confirmed conducting searches at properties linked to the MP, local media reported Monday. Several members of Roslikov's For Stability! party reported his detention. The lawmaker later posted a video on social media stating he had been barred from leaving the country while the VDD probe continues. He has accused the authorities of targeting his family in an effort to apply psychological pressure. 'They searched my place, they even searched my parents' place, they searched everything they could,' he said. Roslikov maintained that no evidence links him to Russia and described the allegations as a pretext for a more invasive investigation. He dismissed claims that advocating for the rights of ethnic Russians amounts to a criminal act. The June 5 speech marked Roslikov's final address in the national legislature before he relinquished his mandate five days later. On June 7, he was elected to Riga's municipal legislature, and under Latvian law, he cannot serve in both roles. His resignation stripped him of the prosecutorial immunity afforded to MPs. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Latvia and its Baltic neighbors, Estonia and Lithuania, have ramped up enforcement actions against individuals and organizations suspected of Russian ties. Among the measures taken by Riga are mandatory Latvian language exams for ethnic Russians. Hundreds of people have reportedly been deported for failing the exam or refusing to take it. Moscow has repeatedly accused the Baltic states of pursuing discriminatory policies against ethnic Russians driven by nationalist motives.
Russia Today
6 days ago
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Newsweek issues correction over misquote on Russian NATO demands
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Russia Today
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Western media misquotes Moscow on NATO expansion threat
A Western news outlet has misrepresented statements made by a senior Russian official on NATO expansion toward its borders, in an apparent attempt to fuel the narrative that Russia poses a threat to European members of the US-led military bloc. The US-based weekly Newsweek published an article earlier this week titled 'Russia won't end Ukraine war until NATO 'pulls out' of Baltics: Moscow,' in which it claimed that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, who oversees relations with the Americas, non-proliferation, and arms control, made the remarks in an interview with TASS news agency. 'The Ukraine war won't end until NATO withdraws troops from the Baltics, a top Russian official has warned,' Newsweek wrote. However, in Ryabkov's quotes, there was no mention of the Baltic states. Two days after publication, the outlet added a disclaimer, stating it had 'updated' both the headline and the text 'to reflect that Sergei Ryabkov did not reference the Baltic states, but rather NATO's 'Eastern European contingent'.' The correction came after Latvia's ambassador to NATO, Maris Riekstins, criticized the report. 'He didn't make any reference to Baltic states,' Riekstins posted on X, calling Newsweek's interpretation 'very strange.' Despite the correction, Newsweek's claim was picked up by several other outlets, including Lithuanian state broadcaster LRT, which cited the original headline while adding comments from 'Baltic officials and observers' alleging that Russia plans to attack the region after the Ukraine conflict ends – an accusation Moscow has dismissed as 'nonsense.' In the interview with TASS Ryabkov discussed the root causes of the Ukraine conflict, including NATO expansion toward Russia's borders and Western support for Ukraine's ambition to join the bloc. He stressed that to deescalate tensions and normalize Russia-US relations, Washington must 'show respect for Russia's fundamental interests,' particularly its border security. 'The American side requires practical steps aimed at eliminating the root causes of the fundamental contradictions between us in the area of security. Among these causes, NATO expansion is in the foreground,' Ryabkov said. 'Without resolving this fundamental and most acute problem for us, it is simply impossible to resolve the current conflict in the Euro-Atlantic region.' He reiterated Russia's demand for 'legally binding and long-term guarantees of non-expansion of NATO to the East, as well as demands for non-deployment of strike weapons near Russian borders.' Ryabkov noted that Russia's position on this 'remains unchanged' and added that 'reducing NATO's contingent in Eastern Europe would probably benefit the security of the entire continent.' At no point in the interview did Ryabkov mention the Baltics.
