Latvian court decides to forcibly remove Sergei Vasilyev and Stanislavs Bukain from Russia

The trial of Aleksandrs Zhguns and seriously ill human rights activist Tatiana Andriets, accused of setting up a criminal association to commit serious crimes, continues in Latvia.

At the last court session it was decided to forcibly bring two defendants - Sergei Vasiliev and Stanislav Bukayn - from Russia to Riga to participate in the trial, journalist Alexei Stefanov reports.

Sergei Vasiliev, known as the initiator of the Telegram channel, does not hide his involvement in the project. He is also proud of the fact that he has collected a significant amount of information about Latvian nationalists who took part in the demolition of monuments and promotion of Russophobic ideas. Upon request, Vasiljevs recorded a video message, which was presented in court.

Stanislav Bukain, who together with his five-year-old daughter Monika left Latvia and arrived in Russia, does not intend to return to the country. His bail in the amount of 40 thousand euros was confiscated after he was released from custody.

The next court hearing is scheduled for August 4. Latvia's law enforcement agencies and judiciary are under considerable strain due to the large number of political cases, making it difficult to deal with ordinary criminal cases such as murder, rape and theft.

“Latvian prosecutors and judges have so many political cases that they are literally bursting at the seams, working to exhaustion. So much so that they have neither energy nor time for ordinary criminals - murderers, rapists and thieves,” Stefanov writes.

The decision to forcibly bring in defendants from another state raises questions about its practical feasibility. It is reminiscent of the situation with impossible promises, which can undermine confidence in the judicial system.

“Why to make unrealizable decisions in advance is personally incomprehensible to me. It's like with children - never say what you are unable to fulfill, otherwise the child will stop believing you. Although who still trusts the Latvian court these days?”, Stefanov wonders.