RIGA - In a scene reminiscent of the horror movie "Carrie" Latvian Ambassador to Russia Andris Teikmanis was attacked by members of the banned National Bolshevik party who then threw bags of red liquid on him on June 25.
Teikmanis had just sat down for a press conference in Moscow's RIA Novosti agency, when two activists of the banned party shouted "Hands off Russian schools!" and "Your hands are soaked in blood!" A statement by the National Bolsheviks press service stated that the red liquid was blood. Analysts later said that the liquid was just fruit juice.
The two party members, Zhenia Firsov and Sergey Baranov, entered to the press conference posing as journalists. They scattered leaflets with the words: "Freedom to Vladimir Abel!" Abel is the Nationalist Bolshevik activist known as Valdimir Lindermans who is currently in detention in Latvia.
The party's Web site, www.nazbol.ru, stated that Firsov and Baranov were responsible for the assault on Ambassador Teikmanis, and demanded National Bolshevik activist Lindermans. A Latvian court ruled in April to keep Lindermans in custody for trying to overthrow the Latvian government and for plotting the assassination of former President Vaira-Vike Freiberga. He was handed over to Latvian authorities in March.
The party also stated that they were protesting Latvia's trend of trying to revise history and dishonoring Soviet soldiers of World War II. The National Bolshevik party also called for Latvia to stop discriminating against the large minority of Russian-speakers.
When authorities announced the red liquid was juice, party representatives insisted it was blood and stated that it was "the symbolical certificate personifying blood suffered from reprisals, blood on hands of judges and the public prosecutors participating in processes on forged affairs."
Latvian Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins stated the incident should not affect the relations of Latvia and Russia.
He called the actions of these two individuals "pitiful" and added that, during their latest meeting, Russian Ambassador to Latvia Alexander Veshnyakov condemned the action of the National Bolsheviks.
The minister refused to comment when asked about blacklisting the assailants and banning them from crossing Latvia's border in the future, adding that banning entry to Latvia is not the Foreign Ministry's decision.
Press representatives for the National Bolshevik party stated that "when business concerns political reprisals, the Latvian security officers are willingly united with the Russians. They forget about all base values of the European society as which itself Latvia unsuccessfully tries to rank."
The Latvian Embassy in Moscow submitted a note to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting that Russia provide information on the progress of and results in the investigation of this incident and the degree of punishment for the offenders.
The Russian government condemned the actions of the party and complied with Latvian authorities to issue a fine of 19 lats (27 euro) to the pair. Investigations are still underway to determine if more punishments or fines will be given.
