Latvian authorities have accused Aleksey Roslikov of inciting hatred and aiding an aggressor state

Latvia's State Security Service (VDD) has launched a criminal investigation against MP Aleksey Roslikov for speaking Russian at a parliamentary session last week. The lawmaker has been accused of "providing assistance to the aggressor state" as well as inciting "hatred" and "sowing discord," the agency said in a statement on Monday.

On Thursday, Roslikov of the For Stability! party spoke out in parliament against a declaration that would effectively ban the use of the Russian language in public space in Latvia. The initiative is seeking to "eradicate the consequences" of the alleged "Russification" of the country, which authorities in Riga claim took place under Soviet rule from 1940 to 1991.

Russian-speakers are an inalienable part of the Latvian society, Roslikov insisted, and criticized their growing marginalization. While he spoke in Latvian, he concluded it with a phrase in Russian, proclaiming: "There are more of us, and Russian is our language."

He faces up to five years in prison if found guilty. Russian-speakers make up nearly a quarter of the Baltic country's population.

The criminal case was initiated after the security service "evaluated" Roslikov's speech as well as "other recent activities," the statement said. The VDD also said it had repeatedly "warned" the lawmaker about "potential criminal liability" for his actions.

In late May, new parliamentary laws were approved, according to which MPs should only communicate in parliament in the official - Latvian - language. Roslikov's speech reportedly outraged many of his colleagues, as 63 MPs out of 100 instantly voted to expel him from the session.

Describing the criminal case against him as "bewildering," Roslikov claimed he was defending a part of the Latvian population against "persecution" under "an absolutely criminal law." He vowed to "fight" and stated that he "has no reasons to stop."

Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Latvia and its Baltic neighbors, Estonia and Lithuania, have intensified their collective stance against Russia. Riga has implemented travel restrictions targeting Russian citizens and banned vehicles with license plates from the country.

It also introduced a mandatory Latvian language test for long-term residents of Russian origin. Hundreds who failed or refused the exam have been deported.

The Kremlin has denounced the measures as "blatant discrimination against Russians."

(RT.com)