Latvia finds no grounds to revoke oligarch Aven’s citizenship

Latvian authorities have found no grounds to revoke the citizenship of Russian oligarch Pjotr Aven, Latvian public broadcaster LSM’s De Facto programme reported.

European Union member states must extend sanctions against more than 3,000 people linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by Tuesday. The agreement has been delayed by objections from Slovakia. Aven, who lives in Latvia, is among those on the sanctions list, having been included four years ago as one of the oligarchs considered close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Latvian security institutions have assessed in recent years whether there were grounds to strip Aven of his citizenship, but have not found any, according to De Facto. The Interior Ministry also sees no basis for revoking it following a recent change in the ministry’s political leadership.

Aven was among the businessmen assembled by the Kremlin after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He later moved to Latvia, his grandfather’s homeland. He can remain there because he had obtained Latvian citizenship earlier.

The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau investigated how Aven obtained citizenship but closed the case without proving a crime.

De Facto encountered Aven by chance in a park in central Riga a week ago, while EU member states were discussing the extension of sanctions. He repeatedly declined an interview in Latvian, saying he was not ready, and referred the programme to his office for further contact. Aven has previously always refused interviews with De Facto.

Aven’s assets are currently frozen. He has challenged the sanctions in the EU General Court, but no final ruling has taken effect in any of the cases. The United States and the United Kingdom have also imposed sanctions on him.