Freedom Monument pisser fined 45 lats

  • 2007-06-04
A British tourist who urinated near Latvia's Freedom Monument has been fined 45 lats (64 euro) by a Riga court.

John Hart, 28, relieved himself in front of the respected national monument on March 16 while his friends took pictures of the offensive act, the court heard. Hart did not appear in court to hear his sentence.

However his punishment was light compared to the fine imposed on another British tourist who committed the same offence last November and was ordered to pay 810 lat.

The British embassy in Riga this year launched a "Responsible Tourism" campaign to curb the loutish behavior of visitors.