Arson suspected at Latvian embassy in Moscow

  • 2000-05-25
RIGA (BNS) - On May 18 a car belonging to an employee of the Latvian
Embassy in Moscow caught fire on embassy property. There is suspicion
about arson, said Vilmars Henins, first secretary of the Latvian
Embassy.

The fire was noticed at shortly after midnight by the embassy security
who called the fire brigade and the police.

The investigation has caused suspicion that it the case concerns arson.
It is possible that somebody an enflammable object was thrown over the
fence of the embassy that set the car on fire. The embassy will demand
the police in Moscow to investigate the case.

Besides, a note to the Russian Foreign Ministry is being prepared, said
Henins.

It has already been reported that several acts of vandalism have taken
place near the buildings of Latvia's representative offices in Russia.
The most recent one happened at the beginning of May when a young man
threw four jars filled with black paint at the building of Latvia's
general consulate in St. Petersburg.

At the beginning of March unknown hooligans attacked Latvia's embassy
in Moscow and threw several bottles filled with black substance in the
direction of the building. Several bottles broke against the wall and
one smashed a window.

In December unknown hooligans stained the wall of Latvia's embassy with
paint and in mid-January another act of vandalism took place near the
general consulate in St. Petersburg where three black stains were found
on the wall.

At the beginning of April the building of Latvia's representative
office in Pskov was stained with red paint.