On November 9, the Riga City Court sentenced Janis Adamsons, a former interior minister and ex-lawmaker from the Social Democratic Saskana (Harmony) party, to 8 1/2 years in prison for spying on behalf of Russia. His co-defendant, Gennady Silonov, a former Soviet KGB officer and Russian citizen, received a 7 1/2 year prison sentence for the same offense.
Adamsons was found guilty of transmitting information about Latvian laws, military finances, and the eastern border situation to Silonov, who then passed it on to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). Additionally, Adamsons was convicted of possessing an illegal firearm.
The investigation began after Latvia’s parliament supported the Prosecutor-General’s Office move in December of the previous year. In June 2022, parliamentary immunity was revoked to facilitate Adamsons’ arrest and a search of his home.
Both Adamsons and Silonov pleaded not guilty and plan to appeal the court’s decision. Adamsons, who served in the Soviet Border Guard forces in the 1970s, faced accusations in the past regarding his eligibility as a lawmaker, with concerns raised about his alleged service in the KGB during the Soviet era.
Latvia, having declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, is now a member of the European Union and NATO.
By FCCT Editorial Team
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