Saeima committee permits criminal prosecution of deputy charged with espionage

On Wednesday, 8 December, Latvian Saeima’s Mandates, Ethics and Submissions Committee voted in favour of permitting criminal prosecution of parliament member Jānis Ādamsons, who is accused of spying for Russia, as confirmed by the committee’s chairman Janīna Kursīte-Pakule.
The committee will ask the Saeima to review this topic at the 9 December meeting.
Ādamsons is presented with charges in accordance with Part 1 of Section 85, Part 1 of Section 180 and Part 2 of Section 233 of the Criminal Law.
As previously reported, the Office of the Prosecutor General previously asked the Saeima to permit criminal prosecution of Saeima deputy Jānis Ādamsons, who was detained in June by the State Security Service (VDD) on suspicion of spying for Russia.
BNN previously reported Ādamsons was put under arrest in June.
Unofficial information suggests Ādamsons leaked both publicly accessible information – different law amendments, information about army procurements and budget, and provided information about Latvia’s eastern border infrastructure and Baltic Assembly’s position on Nord Stream 2 project. Unofficial information also suggests he used his computer in the parliament to leak information.
In the Saeima Ādamsons worked in the Defence, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee, Submissions Committee and Baltic Affairs Sub-Committee. Although Ādamsons has no permit to access official secrets, he had the right to participate in meetings of the Defence, Internal Affairs and Corruption Committee during which officials presented confidential information.
He also worked in multiple Saeima deputy groups. As a member of the parliament he worked in the work group in charge of cooperation with the Israeli Parliament, the Chinese Parliament and Belarusian Parliament.
In January 2019 Ādamsons became the head of the group of deputies in charge of developing cooperation with the Russian parliament.
During the Soviet era Ādamsons held different posts in the USSR Navy. After the restoration of Latvia’s independence Ādamsons served as deputy commander of Latvian Navy and commander of the Border Guards Brigade. Later he entered politics.
Ādamsons still receives a military pension paid by Russia.
After his arrest, Ādamsons decided to leave the political party Harmony and its faction in the Saeima. He remains a Saeima deputy, however.