On August 17, 2020, a Latvian court found the then 64-year-old former lieutenant colonel of the Latvian Interior Ministry Oleg Burak guilty of espionage and sentenced him to 15 years in prison.
Oleg Burak was arrested by State Security Service operatives on October 17, 2018. He was charged with six articles of the Criminal Law of Latvia, including Article 85 Part 2 on espionage in favor of Russia. Burak did not admit his guilt.
The arrest had a negative impact on the well-being of Oleg Burak, who, according to his wife, was not provided with the necessary medical care in the cell. In addition, after the arrest, his bank accounts were frozen, on which he collected funds for the treatment of his son with disabilities.
Oleg Burak worked in the Latvian Interior Ministry and retired in 2010. Before that, he exposed a corruption scheme in the ministry, which led to the dismissal of several high-ranking officials. The former employee is sure that the espionage charges were revenge on the part of law enforcement agencies.