Lativia MP claims parents raided following Russian-language outrage
(MENAFN) Latvian lawmaker Alexey Roslikov has alleged that his parents’ home was searched by authorities in what he describes as an attempt to intimidate him for speaking out in defense of the country’s Russian-speaking minority. Roslikov, a member of the For Stability! party, is under investigation for allegedly inciting hatred following a recent speech in parliament.
In early June, Roslikov accused the Latvian government of targeting the Russian-speaking population, which makes up around a quarter of the country’s citizens. He ended his speech in Russian, violating new parliamentary rules requiring all remarks to be made in Latvian. As a result, he was removed from the chamber.
Following the incident, the State Security Service (VDD) launched a probe, claiming Roslikov was supporting Russia, labeled by Latvia as an "aggressor state." The VDD confirmed searches of properties linked to the MP, and several party members reported that Roslikov was briefly detained before being released on Monday.
In a video posted online, Roslikov said he is now banned from leaving the country and accused officials of targeting his family to exert psychological pressure. “They searched my home, my parents’ home—everything they could,” he said.
Roslikov denied any connections to Russia and insisted that supporting language rights should not be criminalized. He stepped down from parliament on June 10 after being elected to Riga’s municipal council, thereby losing the immunity typically granted to national lawmakers.
Since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Latvia—along with Estonia and Lithuania—has intensified scrutiny of individuals and entities suspected of Russian affiliations. Measures include mandatory Latvian language tests for ethnic Russians, with hundreds reportedly deported for failing or refusing to comply.
Moscow has criticized these policies as discriminatory and driven by nationalist agendas targeting Russian minorities in the Baltic states.
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