Security Service detains man for online activities inciting hatred against Latvians and Ukrainians

RIGA - The State Security Service (VDD) last Wednesday detained a man for online activities inciting hatred against Latvians and Ukrainians, as well as justifying and glorifying Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the service informed LETA.

LETA has information that the detainee is Edgars Bleiders.

On January 4, VDD searched a residence and seized various data storage devices.

According to VDD, the detained man was very systematic in his online activities. He had several TikTok profiles where he regularly posted videos denigrating the developments in Latvia, in which he was making hostile comments about Latvians and Ukrainians and also praising the Russian armed forces and Russia's war in Ukraine.

The man was arrested on January 6.

LETA has watched the videos the man posted on TikTok, ascertaining that they mostly followed Russia's narrative about flawed democracy in Latvia. In these videos, the man says, in Latvian and Russian, that there is no freedom in Latvia, laments the dismantling of the monument to Soviet soldiers in Riga's Pardaugava, and calls Latvia a neo-Nazi country rife with Russophobia and nationalism.