Latvian prosecutor's office demands to change Alexander Filei's suspended sentence to a real one

The Latvian prosecutor's office has appealed against the verdict of the Riga City Court, under which the former board member of the Russian Union of Latvia (RSL), historian Alexander Filei received a suspended prison sentence of 10 months for denying the occupation of Latvia, reports Alexei Stefanov.

The prosecutor's office said that for this "criminal act" the Criminal Law provides for imprisonment for up to 5 years, forced labor or a fine. The prosecutor of Riga judicial district disagrees with the part of the court verdict that refers to the punishment of the accused "who committed a serious crime," the publication says.

In her opinion, "the defendant selectively selected and interpreted historical events" (the events of June 17, 1940), "thus jeopardizing the interests of the whole society". And in general, the prosecutor believes that "this should be a taboo subject", as they, in the prosecutor's office, have a different, "objective truth". Therefore, the prosecutor's office believes that "the state's punishment policy in such cases should be harsh" and that the court handed down a "disproportionately lenient sentence." The prosecutor, referring to "the nature of the criminal act and the high level of danger to society", demands to apply to the accused punishment in the form of real, not suspended term of imprisonment.