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Russia wants to arrest 160 politicians and officials from Europe

2024-02-15 12:33:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Russia wants to arrest 160 politicians and officials from Europe

Vladimir Putin

What kind of warrant is this?

It is about the official database of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. They can be found on the website of the ministry. If there are doubts that the accused has escaped from Russian justice, he will be placed on this list as wanted. The ministry does not disclose the criteria according to which the list was made. But currently there are 96,752 people on the wanted lists for criminal offenses.

Which non-Russian citizens is Russia looking for?

This Russian list includes hundreds of foreigners, mostly Ukrainian servicemen and members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. But the list also includes 160 Eastern European politicians, representatives and civil servants from Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Ukraine.

Among the best-known names are Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Estonian State Secretary Taimar Peterkop, and Lithuanian Culture Minister Simonas Kairys.

What are they accused of?

"Hostile actions against Russian historical heritage" is the official reason for their pursuit. For example, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Latvian parliament voted to demolish all remaining Soviet-era monuments in the country. These monuments are dedicated to the Great Patriotic War, as Russia called World War II.

This is reason enough for the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs to issue an arrest warrant for all members of parliament who voted in May 2022. It is about 83 people. One of them is former Interior Minister Maria Golubeva. Lithuania began demolishing Soviet monuments in the 1990s. By 2022, they were all removed. Estonia also destroyed a Soviet monument. And among the Baltic population itself there were isolated protests against him.

Russia strongly criticizes such decisions. "The fight against common history and the removal of monuments to those who saved Europe from fascism is, of course, outrageous," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

But a dispute over monuments is not the only reason why a person ends up on a Russian arrest warrant. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly criticized Latvia and Estonia for the treatment of Russian-speaking minorities in these countries.

The two Baltic states are also completely moving away from the Russian language. Education is organized only in national languages. Those who have a Russian passport and want to continue living in Latvia must prove their knowledge of the Latvian language by next year at the latest. Otherwise, there is a risk of deportation, even if the person has spent his whole life in Latvia.

What are the consequences that can be expected?

As long as they do not trespass in Russia, the arrest warrant has no consequences for these persons. Whereas in the Russian Federation, those for whom an arrest warrant has been issued can be arrested and there can be criminal proceedings on the charge of "criminal activity".

Does registration serve domestic political interests?

Yes. With the presidential election in March, Putin wants to show that he stands on the defensive and that he protects all Russians - not only at home, but also beyond Russia's borders. The head of the Kremlin wants to position himself as a strong and decisive president. Because of this, it puts at risk the already strained bilateral relations with the Baltic countries.

Last but not least, this list also complements the image of a hostile Europe that strongly supports Ukraine. Latvian Prime Minister Kallas, in particular, strongly advocates further arms shipments and strongly supports Ukraine in its fight against Russia./DW