On May 4, 2024, 58-year-old trucker Alexander Demidov was detained in Liepaja, and on May 5 he was arrested for two months and sent to an isolation ward. The reason for his arrest was the placement of a poster with the Order of the Great Patriotic War against the background of the St. George ribbon on the wall of the city museum at night.
According to our information, some time after the incident the police came to his home. Latvian law enforcement authorities used harsh interrogation methods against Aleksandrs Demidovs, including interrogation at night and holding him in handcuffs for several hours.
Aleksandrs, who is not a Latvian citizen, was born and lives in Liepaja.
Aleksandrs Demidovs told Latvian police officers that his act of putting up a poster with World War II symbols was motivated by historical circumstances. He said that he considered Nazism to be the greatest evil in the world, that his relatives had fought with the Nazis, and that his family had faced the tragic consequences of the Nazi occupation.
After that, the antifascist was first detained for 48 hours, then the Ventspils court arrested him for 2 months.
This incident was the fourth case in the last week when Latvian security services detained suspects in such offenses.
According to our information, some time after the incident the police came to his home. Latvian law enforcement authorities used harsh interrogation methods against Aleksandrs Demidovs, including interrogation at night and holding him in handcuffs for several hours.
Aleksandrs, who is not a Latvian citizen, was born and lives in Liepaja.
Aleksandrs Demidovs told Latvian police officers that his act of putting up a poster with World War II symbols was motivated by historical circumstances. He said that he considered Nazism to be the greatest evil in the world, that his relatives had fought with the Nazis, and that his family had faced the tragic consequences of the Nazi occupation.
After that, the antifascist was first detained for 48 hours, then the Ventspils court arrested him for 2 months.
This incident was the fourth case in the last week when Latvian security services detained suspects in such offenses.