Pro-Kremlin LKS party also incites people against Neatkarīgā
The pro-Kremlin party Latvian Russian Union (Latvijas Krievu savienība, LKS), which has already been warned by the State Security Service, continues to incite the Russian public to mass provocation on May 9 and, following the Kremlin's example, spreads blatant lies about well-known facts. One of the information attacks is also directed against Neatkarīgā, because we are actively following its blatantly anti-state activities.
On its Facebook page, the pro-Kremlin party posted the following statement: “АГЕНТЫ КРЕМЛЯ УЖЕ В NRA? Газета Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīze своей ложью подрывает национальную безопасность."
"Kremlin agents already in NRA? Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīze newspaper undermines national security with its lies." So what has annoyed this political organization that is generously funded by the Latvian state and the European Union so much? The statement discusses one particular publication of Neatkarīgā: "Latvijas Krievu savienība party brings a case against Latvia at the UN." It is about the school reform, which provides for a transition to teaching in the state language. The pro-Kremlin Latvian Russian Union party is fighting to maintain the dual language system introduced by the Soviet occupation regime in education and to make education in the state language virtually unavailable to Russian children. This would continue the mechanical division of Latvian society into two communities.
The party is rocking the boat in Latvia
It is not the issue of education that has alarmed the party, but the conclusion of Neatkarīgā: "The wartime activities of the political organization led by MEP Tatjana Ždanoka clearly show that Moscow has ordered them to rock the boat in Latvia." The word "zdanok" is a frequently searched keyword - and now almost every article that appears with this keyword and exposes the pro-Kremlin behavior of the Latvian Russian Union threatens the continued existence of the party. And this is not a figurative statement. The State Security Service has issued an official warning to the party "not to commit any violation of the law that is against or may harm national security". And criminal liability may follow. As a reminder, here is a quote from the State Security Service: "The State Security Service, within the scope of its competence, has repeatedly found the activities of the political party Latvian Russian Union and its representatives to be inconsistent with democratic values and the interests of Latvia's national security.
In the assessment of the Service, the activities of the party are aimed at justifying the foreign policy of the Russian Federation and the violation of international law norms, as well as at spreading propaganda messages."
It is not Neatkarīgā that undermines national security, as the party claims in its statement, but the party itself that undermines Latvia's national security by its very existence. The Latvian Russian Union must be dissolved, and now the first step has been taken in that direction. That is why the party is so uncomfortable with being watched by Neatkarīgā.
Occupiers must no longer be praised
After receiving a warning from the State Security Service, the party's executive board instructed the organization's chapters to go silent. Not to publicly praise the Russian invasion of Ukraine, etc. But the reality is that the party says one thing and does another. One of the most recent episodes of lies by the pro-Kremlin Latvian Russian Union concerns the celebration of May 9. For context, it should be recalled that the army of the Russian Federation that invaded Ukraine is the heir to the Soviet Red Army and the crimes it committed. Therefore, the annual celebration of the occupation of Latvia at the monument "To the Soviet Soldiers - Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German fascist invaders" is unacceptable. The Saeima has by law banned public events within 200 meters of any monument commemorating the victory and memory of the Soviet army or its soldiers. It also bans the glorification of events that contain the ideology of the Nazi and Communist regimes, the birthdays of persons representing this ideology, and the commemoration of these battles and victories. The use of symbols in the same style as those of military aggression and war crimes is also prohibited. The legislator believes that this will clearly condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and prevent mass rallies in support of Russia.
Instead of a festival, there will be a "night watch"
What is the Latvian Russian Union doing in the meantime? Miroslavs Mitrofanovs, co-chair of the party, announced on state radio that the party has called a moment of silence at the Riga City Council on the morning of May 9: "There will be a lot of people, and this flow will not be organized. There will be no speeches or events. Nobody knows what the citizens of Riga will do when they come to the monument. Of course, we will talk to the police, because we have a responsibility to the public to make this day as organized as possible so that everyone can come, put flowers down and leave. Without any celebration and so on." But in the meantime, the organization is still sending out a very different message to its supporters on the internet. Neatkarīgā has already written about this too, and hopefully the security authorities will take note that "LKS party is agitating for mass provocation on May 9." The mass gathering will be presented as a laying of flowers and a night watch of the monument "To the Soviet Soldiers - Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German fascist invaders". The desired number of people is at least 100,000. Such an event has not been officially announced by Riga City Council. However, the annual "Immortal Regiment" march, which glorifies the soldiers of the Red occupation army and the crimes they committed, has been announced.
Бессмертний полк must be stopped
It is a concept developed in the Russian Federation and disseminated to compatriots abroad that reinforces the narrative of the collective historical memory of the Russians as a liberating nation. The "liberators" march with huge photographs of the Red Army. In Latvia, Tatjana Ždanoka is without a doubt at the head of the procession. Her ally Margarita Dragile is listed as the main coordinator of the Riga march on the Russian-maintained Бессмертний полк website. Dragile received an award from the World Congress of Russian Compatriots Living Abroad for her contribution to the campaign. She is also listed in security reports as an agent of Kremlin influence. Neatkarīgā contacted this agent to find out whether the march will take place. She explained that "we are not ready to comment at the moment". There is a lack of clarity on what will be allowed and what will not be allowed on May 9. The Riga City Council confirms that the application to hold the march has been submitted to the state security bodies for evaluation, but basically it can already be predicted that such a march will not be allowed. This would be in clear contravention of the prohibition on glorifying war crimes and war criminals committed by the Soviet Union and its successor, the Russian Federation. In the new reality of war, the celebration of May 9 in any form is unacceptable. The celebrants must be brought to justice. The pro-Kremlin Latvian Russian Union, together with its many satellite organizations, should be dissolved, because
the party's activities are incompatible with democratic values and the interests of Latvia's national security.
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