A Latvian court has sentenced a man to four years and six months in prison for inciting national hatred and other crimes, Delfi reported on 27 February.
The Latgale District Court also ordered one year of probation supervision after his release.
The man faced multiple charges including theft, hooliganism with property damage, causing moderate bodily harm, inciting hatred on national grounds, and glorifying and justifying war crimes.
According to prosecutors, the defendant removed a Ukrainian flag with its flagpole from a building in Daugavpils during summer 2022 and took it away.
In January 2023, the man damaged merchandise while intoxicated. The court heard that in summer 2023, the intoxicated man stabbed an acquaintance in the neck while in a state of anger, causing moderate bodily injuries.
Between May and June 2024, he posted ten videos on TikTok where he made statements in Russian that “justified and glorified war crimes” and used aggressive language toward Ukrainians living in Ireland, thereby inciting hatred and hostility against them.
Court documents revealed the man had seven previous convictions for various crimes.
Delfi notes that Latvian authorities have been actively pursuing cases related to propaganda supporting military aggression. Last autumn in Daugavpils, two individuals were detained for drawing symbols glorifying military aggression on 14 objects. Additionally, Latvia’s State Security Service detained a citizen suspected of publicly praising Putin and justifying terrorism.
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