Latvia is preparing to take Russia to court in response to hybrid attacks, drawing on Ukraine’s experience, and is already developing a defense strategy in case Moscow files an official complaint at the International Court of Justice.
According to a public report by the State Security Service released in June this year, the Russian side has prepared a lawsuit against the Baltic states, formally justifying it with alleged discrimination against the Russian-speaking part of society. Latvian experts insist on the need for early preparation for this process, not only in legal but also in political terms. Source: Press.lv.
Former Latvian President and legal expert Egils Levits stated that Russia will try to use the court proceedings to advance its own narrative, so Latvia must work even more actively to present its position on the international stage. As a countermeasure, Riga plans to remind the international community of the Soviet occupation.
Historian Gatis Krūmiņš, who heads a special commission collecting data on that period, has already calculated that the total economic damage amounts to 824 billion euros in today’s value, with additional demographic, environmental, territorial, and socio-moral losses.
Egils Levits acknowledged that real compensation from Russia is not expected in the foreseeable future, but a well-prepared legal claim is an important form of political capital. In his view, the International Court of Justice could become an international platform where Latvia presents its position on illegal occupation, material losses, Russification, and colonization. He also recommended that the government fund a serious study on the country’s chances in an international court regarding the occupation issue, rather than spending money on less important projects.
In forming its defense strategy, Latvia is taking into account Ukraine’s experience, which has already successfully countered similar Russian hybrid attacks in the legal arena. Levits recalled that Russia previously tried to use the issue of discrimination against Russian-speaking populations against Ukraine, but it did not succeed.
The former president stressed that the likelihood of an unfavorable ruling for Latvia on the issue of the status of Russian-speaking citizens is close to zero, as qualified international law experts understand that Russia cannot win such a case.
The Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the country’s strength lies in strict compliance with international standards, which has previously ensured success in the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights. Foreign Minister Baiba Braže recalled last year’s UN Human Rights Committee report confirming the legality of Latvia’s citizenship policy and the state’s right to develop the Latvian language as the sole official language.
According to the Foreign Minister, Latvia is fully prepared for legal “warfare” with Russia, but the ministry does not plan to disclose all details of its defense so they cannot be used by the opposing side.
