Latvian prosecutors charge man over Daugavpils separatism posts

Latvian prosecutors have charged a Latvian non-citizen with publicly supporting ideas aimed at undermining the country’s territorial integrity, LSM reported, citing the LETA news agency and the prosecutor’s office.

The accused is a man from Daugavpils born in 1964 who worked for a Daugavpils municipal enterprise. He faces charges under a Criminal Law provision covering the distribution of material containing public calls to act against Latvia’s territorial unity in a manner not provided for by the Constitution.

The man admits guilt. Prosecutors said there was no indication that he acted on behalf of Russian special services, saying he was motivated by personal reasons. They did not disclose which municipal enterprise employed him or what position he held.

The State Security Service proposed bringing the charges after its investigation found that the man had regularly expressed support on TikTok for separating Daugavpils from Latvia and creating a new republic. He also shared posts promoting the idea through several TikTok accounts. The account where the posts were initially published has since been deleted at the service’s initiative.

The State Security Service detained the suspect on May 12. He is currently being held in custody as a security measure. The offence carries a possible prison sentence of up to five years, short-term imprisonment or probation supervision.