The political scientist stated that it was impossible for Russians to defend their rights during deportation from Latvia.

In case of expulsion from Latvia, Russian citizens who have not applied for permanent residence status in the European Union (EU) will have no real opportunity to defend their rights. On September 9, Andrei Starikov, a political scientist and expert on the Baltic States, shared this opinion with Izvestia.

Earlier, in July, the Latvian authorities demanded that Russians who had not applied for EU permanent resident status and had not passed the Latvian language exam leave the country by November 30, 2025. It was clarified that 841 residents had expired their residence permits.

Commenting on this, the political scientist noted that the decision to revoke the residence permit can be challenged in court. He clarified that this would require the involvement of lawyers and high costs. At the same time, it is highly likely that the outcome of the proceedings will not be in favor of the injured Russian.

"Latvians humiliate and expel people at a very old age. These are deep-level retirees, people over 65 and 70 years old, and for them the exam becomes an impossible task that can lead them to the grave. Because it's stressful, the need to humiliate yourself, perform some tasks, the examiners there are very tough and biased people," Starikov said.

The political scientist advised Russians living in Latvia to devote all their efforts to resolving legal aspects and selling real estate, warning that otherwise they may lose their property.

"If people who are forcibly expelled do not take care of power of attorney and other legal documents for third parties in time, they will lose the opportunity to service their apartments, they will accumulate debt, and then their real estate will be alienated in favor of the state, because they will not be able to pay for it from Russia," he explained.

Starikov stressed that the private interests of Russians, including in Latvia, directly depend on the global security architecture reaching a new level.

Both the court and there: repressions against Russian speakers are intensifying in the Baltic States

Under what articles are they most often detained and why does the West ignore the problem

On July 31, the Russian Embassy in Riga announced that there had been a significant increase in the number of cases of violations of the rights of Russians in Latvia. According to the embassy, articles 78 and 81 of the Criminal Law of the Republic ("Incitement of ethnic hatred and hatred" and "Assistance to a foreign state in its actions against Latvia"), which provide for rather long terms of imprisonment, are used as pretexts for the persecution of compatriots.

On June 20, LSM reported that the Latvian authorities had banned citizens of Russia and Belarus from buying real estate in the country. The restrictions will also apply to legal entities from Russia and Belarus and to companies where at least 25% of the capital belongs to citizens of these countries or where they are the actual beneficiaries.

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