Latvian court grants asylum to Russian citizen who fought for Ukraine
Latvia's Administrative District Court has granted asylum to a Russian citizen who fought on the side of Ukraine, the Latvian outlet Delfi reported on Jan. 2, overturning a Citizenship and Migration Affairs Office (PMLP) decision, which denied him the status last August.
The man, who was born in Latvia but has lived in Ukraine since 1997, applied for refugee status in 2022 after being denied Ukrainian citizenship.
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He joined the Donbas battalion as a volunteer in 2014 where he suffered a concussion, and injuries to his spine and knee. He did not advertise his participation in the war, fearing exposure to Russian security services.
His personal belongings, including his Russian passport, were burned during a shelling. In 2021 he began collecting documents for refugee status in Ukraine
After the start of the full-scale invasion, he traveled with his wife and children through Poland to Latvia and tried to apply for asylum. However, the PMLP turned him down because they could not prove that he was a member of a volunteer unit and that he was wanted by the Russian authorities.
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The man appealed to the courts, saying that despite his citizenship, he had no desire to maintain ties with Russia. He also claimed to have been a member of the Right Sector, which is considered an extremist group in Russia.
The court ruled in his favor, finding no negative information that would prevent him from obtaining refugee status.
At least 1,213 citizens of Russia who do not meet the requirements of a recent immigration law and failed to apply for a residence permit will be deported from Latvia, the Directorate for Citizenship and Migration Affairs of Latvia has announced, as reported by Delfi.
In September 2022, Riga amended the Migration Law to require Russian passport holders with permanent residence in Latvia to pass a language test within one year. The changes affected about 25,000 Russians living in the country.
On Sept. 25, Latvian police announced that they would fine drivers whose cars had stickers reading "I am Russian" or other slogans or inscriptions expressing support for or glorifying Russia's military aggression against Ukraine.
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