Latvia has declared a pro-Russian journalist persona non grata

Latvia has declared Russian journalist Leonid Ragozin, who has been living in Riga since 2014, persona non grata. He was added to the list of individuals unwelcome in the country on October 7.

The Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that another Russian citizen had been added to the list, but did not disclose his name or the reasons for the decision. 

The ministry explained that such decisions are made after evaluating information in consultation with the relevant authorities, and that the grounds for this particular case will not be made public for reasons of national security.

According to Delfi, the individual in question is Ragozin. His remarks regarding Russia’s relations with the West may have drawn the Latvian authorities’ ire. In particular, during a podcast with Aaron Mate, a representative of the American publication The Grayzone, the journalist stated that Russia considers itself compelled to respond with “brute force” to actions it interprets as provocations by Western countries.

Ragozin himself, on October 7, called what is happening political persecution.

The issue of blacklisting the journalist came to a head in late September. Latvian Interior Minister Jānis Dombravs called on Foreign Minister Baiba Braže to make the necessary decision. He accused Ragozin of justifying Russian foreign policy, criticizing sanctions, and discrediting Ukraine, its leadership, and its armed forces.

Source: Delfi

On October 6, at the border between Latvia and Belarus, armed and camouflaged men escorted at least 20 migrants as they attempted to illegally cross the Latvian state border. The incident was reported by Latvian Interior Minister Janis Dombrava and the country’s armed forces.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga stated that the incident on the Latvian-Belarusian border is part of a broader aggressive strategy by Russia and the Belarusian regime. According to him, Moscow and Minsk continue to test Europe’s security, using migration, in particular, as a tool of pressure.