Trouble-maker Aijo risks loss of Latvian citizenship

National Bolshevik activist Beness Aijo, recently deported by Ukraine, now in the UK, vows to sue the Latvian government, because, it is "planning to illegally strip him of citizenship," reports LETA.

In an open letter, Aijo says he is turning to the courts against the "fascist/ethnocratic Latvian government." He says that "only if a person has been granted another country's citizenship, can citizenship be revoked."

"I am a citizen of Latvia, and I plan to use my passport to topple the ethnocratic political system," he declared.

The controversial National Bolshevik activist and Latvian citizen Aijo was denied entry on an airBaltic flight from Kiev to Riga, and is only allowed to arrive in Latvia under a special escort, Aijo said to LETA on April 4.

Aijo said that after his deportation order, he was taken to Kiev Borispol Airport by the Ukrainian Security Police, where they planned to put him on an airBaltic flight to Latvia. However, seeing Aigo, an airBaltic representative said that the Latvian Office for Citizenship and Migration Affairs has an order that Aijo can arrive to Latvia only under a special escort.

Commenting on the Interior Ministry's recent announcement that Latvian law-enforcement authorities have not prohibited Aijo from coming to Latvia, he said that this was not an Interior Ministry decision.

Asked what ''special escort'' means, Aijo said that he would be transported to Latvia in a separate mode of transport under the escort of the security services.

After long discussions amongst Ukrainian security services, they then wished to deport him to Russia, but he did not have a Russian visa. Taking into account that he has a residency permit for Great Britain, Aijo was finally sent to Great Britain.

At the same time, Aijo confirmed to LETA that a letter from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs had been received at his registered address in Rezekne, where he is requested to explain his activities with the so-called Crimean ‘self defense forces,’ and asked if he has obtained citizenship from another country. Aijo said that he has already answered these questions from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.

Aijo added that he will attempt to come to Latvia in the near future. The extremist, who recently joined the so-called pro-Russia ''self defense forces'' in the Crimea and had been actively participating in pro-Russia rallies in eastern Ukraine, was on April 1 detained by Ukrainian authorities in the eastern city of Donetsk, reported Gazeta.ru.

He was seen taking part in a pro-Yanukovych, pro-Russia rally in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk last month. Demonstrators shouted for the former president [Victor Yanukovich] to return, "to bring order to the nation."

Aijo is an extremist, who has been previously tried and convicted of sedition.

His activities this time could cost him his Latvian citizenship, as Latvian law strictly states that citizens cannot be involved in any way with military and paramilitary activities in other countries.

However, Latvian authorities say they have not prohibited the controversial figure from returning to Latvia, said the Interior Ministry.

As Interior Ministry spokeswoman Daiga Holma explained, the Security Police are, however, probing Aijo's recent activities in Ukraine. Furthermore, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs has also started an inquest in regard to Aijo possibly being involved in participating in military activities of a foreign military organization, and would like to speak with Aijo regarding this.