Latvia was accused by Sputnik chef Marat Casema of espionage

Latvia was accused by the chief editor of the Russian news agency Sputnik Marat Kasema of violating the sanctions of the European Union and in espionage. On January 5, a court hearing was held , at which the KASMEM was determined a preventive measure - arrest. He was transferred to the Central Riga prison. According to the article on espionage, he can face up to 20 years in prison.

Marat Kasem is a citizen of Latvia, but lived in Moscow. He headed the Sputnik news agency in Lithuania, which is part of the Russian state media holding "Russia Today". On New Year's Eve, for family reasons, he came to Riga, where he was detained on January 3, Latvia’s security service. Initially, he was accused only of providing resources by an institution under the EU sanctions.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a statement in which Cashmo regarded the arrest of the “inhuman and vile terror of the Latvian regime against dissent” and demanded that the international community intervene in what was happening and “stop the rags created by Riga”.

The Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia, Tatyana Moskalkova, wrote in her telegram channel that she had turned to the High Commissioner of the UN Human Rights to the Turk's Supreme Commissar to the High Commissioner. She considers his detention of attempted freedom of speech.

On Friday, several activists, including the General Director of Russia Today, TV presenter Dmitry Kiselev and State Duma deputy Maria Butina, went to the rally to the Embassy of Latvia in Moscow with the requirements of the liberation of Kasem.

• The European Union banned the work in the EU countries of the Sputnik agency and the RT channel in March, after the start of the war in Ukraine. The ban was introduced before the end of the war and until Russia and the media associated with it "" is stopped by misinformation and information manipulations against the EU. "
• Even before the ban on the EU level, Latvia banned the work of the Russian Holding today, which includes Sputnik, on its territory. There they explained this by the personal sanctions of the EU against the general director of the holding Dmitry Kiselev.