Latvia expels Russian diplomat it accuses of ‘discrediting the state’ and ‘inciting hatred’

Latvia declared persona non grata an employee of the Russian embassy in Riga and expelled him from the country. At the request of the Latvian Foreign Ministry, the diplomat must leave the country before April 10. The chargé d’affaires of the Russian mission was informed, on Wednesday, about this situation in a press release.

The Russian was expelled because of what the Latvian side called an “unacceptable and provocative public communication followed by the embassy over a long period” and in clear contradiction to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

“The Russian Embassy, ​​despite public reprimands from the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, continued inaccurate public communication, aimed at discrediting the public institutions and authorities of the Latvian state and inciting hatred in Latvian society,” the statement sent by the diplomacy from Riga. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riga did not provide further details.

Latvia, a former Soviet republic bordering Russia, is home to a significant minority of Russian origin. The Russian invasion of Ukraine over two years ago increased tensions between the two countries.

Editor: Adrian Dumitru

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