Latvian MP says parents’ house gets raided to intimidate him

(MENAFN) A Latvian parliamentarian, Alexey Roslikov, has reported that authorities raided his parents’ residence, which he described as an attempt to intimidate him for standing up for the rights of the ethnic Russian minority to use their language. Roslikov, currently under investigation for inciting hatred following a recent parliamentary speech, was briefly detained and released on Monday.

Earlier this month, during his address to the Saeima, Roslikov accused the government of targeting Latvia’s Russian-speaking population, who comprise about a quarter of the nation’s residents. He concluded his speech in Russian, violating new parliamentary rules introduced in May that require lawmakers to speak only Latvian, which led to his removal from the session.

Authorities opened an investigation accusing him of supporting an “aggressor state” [Russia] against Latvia. The State Security Service (VDD) confirmed searches at locations connected to Roslikov, according to local news reports.

Members of Roslikov’s For Stability! party noted his detention, and the MP shared a video on social media explaining he has been banned from leaving Latvia while the investigation continues. He accused the authorities of targeting his family to exert psychological pressure.

“They searched my place, they even searched my parents’ place, they searched everything they could,” he stated.

Roslikov denied any ties to Russia and described the accusations as a pretense for a deeper probe. He rejected the notion that defending ethnic Russians’ rights is a criminal offense.

His June 5 speech was his last in the national parliament before stepping down five days later. On June 7, he was elected to Riga’s city council, and Latvian law prohibits holding both positions simultaneously. His resignation ended his parliamentary immunity from prosecution.

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