Two individuals sentenced to five years in prison in Latvia for aiding 13 illegal migrants to stay unlawfully; crime linked to hybrid warfare accusations.

Two persons received a five-year prison sentence in Latvia for aiding 13 illegal migrants to stay unlawfully in the country. The Supreme Court Criminal Cases Department reviewed and rejected the appeal to initiate cassation proceedings. The accused jointly arranged to enable illegal stay of a group of migrants, transporting them from the border area with Belarus to the nearest town by an IVECO vehicle with German registration. At the migrant reception site in Robežnieku parish, Krāslava municipality, the migrants, 13 Indian nationals without visas or residence permits, approached the vehicle after a signal. The accused were arrested before completing their crime. The Latgale District Court sentenced the accused to 3 years and 6 months imprisonment initially, later increased by the Latgale Regional Court to 5 years. The Supreme Court noted the crime was carefully planned and the accused intended to harm the state’s order and internal security, supporting hybrid warfare operations by unfriendly states against Latvia. The appeal focused on dissatisfaction with sentencing, without presenting new legal grounds. The cassation request was therefore denied.