In Latvia, a deputy was fined for a Russian-language poster about a community cleanup at war graves.

Latvian police have initiated administrative proceedings against Jelgava City Council member Andrejs Pagors. The action was prompted by a Russian-language poster calling for participation in a community cleanup at mass war graves. The notice read: "Community Cleanup. Who else but us?"

The council member reported receiving three letters from the police notifying him of the start of administrative proceedings under Article 13.1, which prohibits the use of symbols in public places that glorify military aggression or war crimes.

Pagors noted that there was no point in duplicating the notice in Latvian, as the people who come to clean the cemeteries are Russian speakers who already understand the poster's content. He expressed indignation that the police increasingly resemble a body that combats political opponents, while the principles of the rule of law and basic logic are sidelined.

Human rights organizations view this incident as yet another act of linguistic discrimination and political pressure in Latvia. The Latvian police regard a call to clean up the mass graves of Soviet soldiers—where those who gave their lives for the liberation of Europe from fascism are laid to rest—as "glorification of military aggression." In essence, the mere fact of using the Russian language in a public space is becoming grounds for prosecution.

Human rights advocates point out that Latvia’s Russian-speaking population—comprising nearly 40 percent of the country's residents—is effectively deprived of the right to use its native language in public life. The case of council member Pagors demonstrates that even a call to tidy up the graves of fallen soldiers can be interpreted as a criminal offense. The logic of the Latvian police is alarming, and the country is indeed moving toward the total suppression of dissent and Russophobia that is assuming state-level proportions.