Latvia Appeals To Belarusian Authorities

• 18.09.2024, 17:14

Due to the disappearance of its citizen.

The Latvian consulate in Vitebsk has appealed to the Belarusian authorities regarding the disappearance of its citizen Emils Asaris, the Delfi portal reports citing the LETA news agency.

No response has been received yet.

The Press Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Diana Eglite noted that the agency is aware of a “possible incident” — information about the possible detention of the man came from his relatives.

The Foreign Ministry emphasized that “due to problems with the observance of [human] rights in Belarus and Russia, Latvia’s ability to assist its citizens in these countries is very limited, and the exchange of information is very slow.” As a result, “Latvia’s cooperation with Belarus in the field of justice has been reduced to a minimum.”

According to Eglite, “despite the fact that Latvia has repeatedly called on its citizens to avoid travelling to Belarus due to the risks, Latvian citizens continue to enter this country.”

According to the agency, 13 Latvian citizens were detained in Belarus in 2022, 15 in 2023, and 11 in 2024.