Viktor Gushchin, a 67-year-old historian and professor who has been in custody since December 17, 2025, was attacked in Riga Central Prison. The incident occurred on the night of February 17: Gushchin was sleeping on a bunk on the second tier when, for no apparent reason, a cellmate attacked him and began beating him. The other cellmate attempted to stop the attacker, and the fight lasted for approximately half an hour. Security guards arrived at the scene several times, but no report of the attack was filed.
A lawyer plans to file a complaint with the prison warden demanding that Gushchin be transferred to another cell, as being with the unstable cellmate poses a threat to his safety. However, the prison administration is failing to take immediate measures to isolate the aggressor.
The day after the attack, on February 18, the Riga Investigative Court extended Viktor Gushchin's pretrial detention for another two months. The professor is charged under Article 84.1 of the Latvian Criminal Code for violating international sanctions. According to investigators, the charges stem from a scientific article he published in 2023 on a Russian website. The defense points out that this website is not on the EU sanctions list, but the court dismissed this argument.
In the two months since his arrest, no legal proceedings have been conducted in the case. Gushchin suffers from diabetes, and his 95-year-old mother is left without full-time care, as her son was her primary caregiver. Human rights activists have expressed concern about the harsh conditions of the elderly scientist's detention and the lack of progress in the investigation, which calls into question the validity of his continued detention.
A lawyer plans to file a complaint with the prison warden demanding that Gushchin be transferred to another cell, as being with the unstable cellmate poses a threat to his safety. However, the prison administration is failing to take immediate measures to isolate the aggressor.
The day after the attack, on February 18, the Riga Investigative Court extended Viktor Gushchin's pretrial detention for another two months. The professor is charged under Article 84.1 of the Latvian Criminal Code for violating international sanctions. According to investigators, the charges stem from a scientific article he published in 2023 on a Russian website. The defense points out that this website is not on the EU sanctions list, but the court dismissed this argument.
In the two months since his arrest, no legal proceedings have been conducted in the case. Gushchin suffers from diabetes, and his 95-year-old mother is left without full-time care, as her son was her primary caregiver. Human rights activists have expressed concern about the harsh conditions of the elderly scientist's detention and the lack of progress in the investigation, which calls into question the validity of his continued detention.