Latvia Sets Up Legal Team After Russian Claims of Russian‑Speaker Deportations

Russia’s Foreign Ministry, through director Grigorij Lukjancevs, has circulated a story that the authorities of the Baltic states are preparing mass deportations of Russian‑speaking residents. The claim, widely dismissed as propaganda aimed at diverting attention from the war in Ukraine, alleges that Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia seek to eliminate the “Russian question” on their territories.

In response, Latvia has created a special inter‑institutional legal unit coordinated by the Foreign Ministry. The team will include international‑law experts, Justice Ministry specialists, diplomats and, if needed, globally recognised public‑law advocates to defend the country should Russia file a case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Officials note that any such litigation would first have to overcome jurisdictional hurdles before the merits could be examined.