Latvia fines four conscripts 100 euros for missing checks

Four young men called up for Latvia’s State Defence Service have each been fined 100 euros for missing Ministry of Defence checks without a valid reason, LSM reported, citing notices in the official gazette Latvijas Vēstnesis.

The National Armed Forces Military Police issued the decisions on September 25 in four administrative offence cases. Each man was fined 20 penalty units, or 100 euros. They were born between 2005 and 2007.

Earlier in September, 10 conscripts, including the four, were summoned to provide explanations and attend hearings over their failure to report for checks. The other six were called to hearings on September 29, but decisions in their cases have not yet been published.

A separate notice published in September said a conscript born in 2007 had been fined 150 euros for missing the checks without a valid reason. Under the State Defence Service Law, conscripts must attend and complete the checks at the place and time specified in their summons. A person who fails to do so without a valid reason may receive a warning or a fine of up to 750 euros. Military Police decisions can be appealed within 10 working days.

Latvia’s State Defence Service was established to prepare citizens for national defence duties. Its first intake was voluntary: 488 citizens applied, and 254 began service on July 1, 2023. Service became compulsory on January 1, 2024, with men aged 18 to 19 given priority for conscription.