Latvian court to hear espionage case against Iveta Balode

The Riga City Court is scheduled to begin hearing the criminal case against Iveta Balode on August 13. Balode is accused of collecting intelligence in Latvia and passing it to Russian intelligence services through the pro-Kremlin organization "Baltic Antifascists."

This case is part of a broader investigation by the State Security Service (VDD), which detained four individuals in January for systematic spying. The VDD alleges that the group collected intelligence to be passed to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and other Russian institutions.

According to the charges, Balode provided information regarding the locations and numbers of National Armed Forces near the border, as well as details about Latvia's support for Ukraine. Another accused individual, Iļja Podkolzins, allegedly gathered information on critical infrastructure, including Riga Airport hangars, security procedures, and military mobility measures near the Russian border.

Podkolzins has already reached a plea agreement with the prosecutor, receiving a five-year prison sentence and one year of probation, though the verdict has not yet taken effect.