Latvian parliament to ban all events near Soviet army monuments

On Tuesday, 29 March, Latvian Saeima’s Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee passed for the final reading proposals developed by Artuss Kaimiņš and Linda Medne for the Law on the Safety of Public Entertainment and Festivity Events to ban all public events closer to 200 m to any Soviet-era army monument.
During discussions of this committee deputies mentioned the ban would apply to events near the monument located in Victory Park.
The initial version of amendments to the law was submitted by the Union of Greens and Farmers. One of the goals of amendments was banning the public use of symbols associated with Russia’s military aggression, including the letter «Z».
The proposal to ban the use of symbols associated with this military conflict and war crimes was approved. This does not apply to cases when there is no goal to justify or glorify the war crimes.
Today the proposal from Artuss Kaimiņš and Linda Medne to ban the glorification of Nazi and Communist regime ideology, as well as dates associated with people representing these ideologies, battles and victory celebration days, as well as days of celebration of occupation of free and independent countries. Exceptions to this will include cases when the goal of such events is not associated with glorification of totalitarian regimes or justification of their crimes or if events are used for educational, scientific or artistic objectives.
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Penalties for breaching the rules that govern public entertainment and festivities will be increased as well. From now on, the penalty for a private person will reach EUR 400 and for legal person – EUR 3 200.
As previously reported by the parliament’s press-service, the committee’s chairman Kaimiņš stressed that when condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine, it is necessary to voice a strong position to make it clear symbols like «Z» and «V» used by Russia in Ukraine or other symbols that may be used for the same purpose «have no place at public events».
As previously reported, the Legal Affairs Committee previously passed other law amendments, which provide an administrative penalty for using symbols associated with Russian armed forces and their aggression in Ukraine.