Healthy processed event from Hybrid War Tracker
Headline: Former Latvian MEP Andrejs Mamikins placed on international wanted list for praising Russian war crimes in Ukraine
Short Summary: In June 2024, the Latvian General Prosecutor's Office issued a European arrest warrant against Andrejs Mamikins, a former Latvian MEP, accusing him of praising Russian war crimes committed in Ukraine, specifically glorifying the aggressor state's actions. The warrant was sent to the State Police International Cooperation Department for inclusion in international law enforcement systems. Mamikins escaped to Russia but remains active on social media, recently posting photos claiming he visited Latvia briefly without evidence. The Latvian State Security Service indicted him in late 2023 under criminal code provisions penalizing justification of genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes against peace, and war crimes. These charges stem from his statements on Kremlin-loyal Russian TV channels and social media, including a September 21, 2023, broadcast on Rossiya 1 where he described Russia's actions as a 'mighty, sacred work' in Ukraine. The maximum sentence for these crimes is up to five years imprisonment. Mamikins fled to Russia citing personal reasons to protect his children. Latvia's 2022 citizenship law amendments allow revocation of citizenship from those materially or propagandistically supporting such crimes without making them stateless. Born in 1976, Mamikins has a master's in philology, journalism experience, was elected to the European Parliament in 2014 from the Social Democratic Party 'Saskaņa', and unsuccessfully ran for Latvian parliament in 2018. He briefly held a strategic communications role at the State Labor Inspectorate in 2021 before being dismissed.
Extended Summary: In June 2024, the Latvian General Prosecutor's Office issued a European arrest warrant against Andrejs Mamikins, a former Latvian MEP, accusing him of praising Russian war crimes committed in Ukraine, specifically glorifying the aggressor state's actions. The warrant was sent to the State Police International Cooperation Department for inclusion in international law enforcement systems. Mamikins escaped to Russia but remains active on social media, recently posting photos claiming he visited Latvia briefly without evidence. The Latvian State Security Service indicted him in late 2023 under criminal code provisions penalizing justification of genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes against peace, and war crimes. These charges stem from his statements on Kremlin-loyal Russian TV channels and social media, including a September 21, 2023, broadcast on Rossiya 1 where he described Russia's actions as a 'mighty, sacred work' in Ukraine. The maximum sentence for these crimes is up to five years imprisonment. Mamikins fled to Russia citing personal reasons to protect his children. Latvia's 2022 citizenship law amendments allow revocation of citizenship from those materially or propagandistically supporting such crimes without making them stateless. Born in 1976, Mamikins has a master's in philology, journalism experience, was elected to the European Parliament in 2014 from the Social Democratic Party 'Saskaņa', and unsuccessfully ran for Latvian parliament in 2018. He briefly held a strategic communications role at the State Labor Inspectorate in 2021 before being dismissed.
The Latvian General Prosecutor's Office's International Cooperation Department issued a European arrest warrant at the end of June against former Latvian MEP Andrejs Mamikins. He is charged with praising and justifying war crimes committed by the aggressor state in Ukraine. The decision has been sent to the State Police International Cooperation Division to be entered into international databases. Mamikins, who fled to Russia, remains active on social media. The State Security Service started a criminal process against him on September 29, 2023, for justifying genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes against peace, and war crimes, based on his statements on pro-Kremlin Russian TV channels and social media. The maximum penalty under Latvian law for this offense is imprisonment of up to five years. Mamikins fled to Russia claiming it was to prevent his sons from participating in gay parades. Latvia amended its citizenship law in 2022 to revoke citizenship from individuals supporting such crimes without rendering them stateless. Mamikins was born in 1976, holds a master's degree in philology from the University of Latvia, worked as a journalist, was elected MEP in 2014 from the Social Democratic Party 'Saskaņa', and unsuccessfully ran for parliament in 2018 from the Latvian Russian Union. In 2021, he briefly worked as a strategic communications manager at the State Labor Inspectorate before being dismissed during a background check.
Classified as defense because the event describes Latvian authorities issuing a European arrest warrant and pursuing legal action against a pro-Kremlin individual supporting Russian war crimes, indicative of defensive legal measures. No direct Russian aggressive action in the event. High confidence because official Latvian prosecution and police actions are clearly described.
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