Living Legally In Latvia

I've decided to separate our legal travails in Latvia from this blog by starting another which will be dedicated to problems faced here by non-citizens (Russians). I will copy whatever I have covered previously on this site and add to this data base what has transpired most recently. This will hopefully accomplish two things;

• Free this site up from the task of recording complex legal matters which do not interest most people.
• Provide a linear event history totally dedicated to the problems experienced in Latvia by non-citizens.
• Allow this site to stick to the English language as it's original purpose was to reach viewers outside the country. There are very few English language blogs in Latvia.

The new blog is called Living Legally In Latvia and will be a mix of Russian & English with some Latvian. Go read the about page for more info and understand that it is still under construction.

In the meantime I will continue this blog and attempt to cover the more pleasant subjects one normal associates with Latvia in particular and the Baltics & Russia generally.

Moscow Election Exit Polls

Опубликованы данные экзит-полов на выборах мэра Москвы

В Москве завершилось голосование на выборах мэра города. Согласно опросам, проведенным на выходах с избирательных участков сторонниками Алексея Навального, за кандидатуру оппозиционера проголосовали 35,6% опрошенных. «По данным экзит-поллов ВТОРОЙ ТУР выборов мэра Москвы состоится. Алексей Навальный — 35,6%, Сергей Собянин — 46%», — говорится в сообщении в Twitter. По данным Фонда общественного мнения, большинство москвичей отдали свои симпатии Сергею Собянину — у него 52,5% голосов избирателей, у Алексея Навального — 29,1%. Центр политических технологий приводит следующие данные: врио мэра Москвы — 56% голосов, Алексей Навальный — 29%. 

Сергей Собянин лидирует на выборах мэра Москвы с 53% голосов, свидетельствуют данные экзит-поллов ВЦИОМа. Алексей Навальный, согласно опросам, проведенным на выходах с избирательных участков сотрудниками центра, получил 32%. «По результатам экзитпола, мэром Москвы в первом туре избран Сергей Собянин (53% голосов). Его ближайший соперник, Алексей Навальный, набрал 32% голосов. Остальные кандидаты продемонстрировали более скромные результаты: Иван Мельников — 8%, Сергей Митрохин — 3%, Николай Левичев — 1%, Михаил Дегтярев — 1%. Испорченных бюллетеней — 1%. Отказались от ответа 27% респондентов», — говорится в сообщении ВЦИОМ.

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Exit Polls are Pubished  for the Moscow Elections

In Moscow, voting has finished for the new Mayor. According to exit polls carried out at the doors of the election stations by Alexei Navalny's supporters, the oppositionist candidate got 35.6% of those queried. “According to the exit polls, there will be a SECOND TOUR of mayoral elections. Alexei Navalny – 35.6%, Sergey Sobyanin – 46%,” according to their Twitter. According to the Foundation of Public Opinion, the majority of Muscovites extended their sympathies towards Sergey Sobyanin – he got 52.5% of the votes, Alexei Navalny – 29.1%. The Center of Political Technologies provides the following data: 56% to the Acting Mayor of Moscow Sergey Sobyanin 56%, Alexei Navalny – 29%.

Sergey Sobyanin is leading in the Moscow elections with 53% of the votes, according to data from VCIOM's exit polls. Alexei Navalny, according to the exit polls carried out by the organization's workers, got 32%. “According to the results of the exit poll, the Mayor of Moscow, chosen in the first round, is Sergey Sobyanin (53% of the vote). His closest adversary, Alexei Navalny, got 32% of the vote. The other candidates' results were far more most modest: Ivan Melnikov – 8%, Sergey Mitrokhin – 3%, Nikolai Levichev – 1%, Mikhail Degtyaryov – 1%. Some 1% of the ballots were spoiled. 27% of the respondents refused to answer,” according to VCIOM's communique.

What is interesting is that it is widely beleived that >25% would lead to a dropping of the charges against Navalny. 

My Terrible Latvian Anniversary

It is exactly one year ago today that I had a physical fight on my long term clearly marked private property in a village of 18,000 souls called Tukums with a neighbourhood Latvian citizen of ill repute, a twice fired and re-instated ex-Soviet policeman now working part time as a janitor who had been trespassing, destroying our property, filing nuisance complaints with the Municipal police and harassing our renters, my repatriate wife and myself for some 17 years after we refused to sell or then rent our orchard land to him and his wife, a town employee in the documents department. One year later and some 3,000 Lats in legal fees which had the unwanted effect of introducing me to the corrupt legal system and nepotism in that town and which resulted in a very unsatisfactory ending in a Riga notary I marvel at Latvia's low rating for corruption in the annual Transparency International Poll (49th) and the EU's full throated acceptance of Latvia to the Union on an as is basis as I am told that my experience is far from unusual. I am told this by my lawyer, the survey company which I have frequently employed to resolve endless land border issues with this particular neighbor and who were onsite and in my employ at the time of the assault, my neighbours and renters who witnessed the event, Tukuma Doma employees and even some of the State and Tukums Municipal Police who provided corroborating anecdotal stories as they had no stake in this particular event (not being related to the litigants). It was only through the efforts of our very clever Riga based advocate that I escaped the clawed hand of the still corrupted Soviet era influenced Latvian law which sought to extort money from me. 400 Lats for the Prosecutor, 600 for the assaulter. I have the paperwork. Was it worth spending 3,000 to avoid a payment of 1,000? Yes! Is it worth naming names? Not yet but .pdf's could well follow.

When it became clear that the Prosecutor for that area was in league with the litigant and was looking for a buy out in order to stay charges against me my advocate very cleverly moved the case to an impartial arbitration board outside the control of the Prosecutor swiftly producing a final resolution which was essentially a piece of paper signed by both of us at a notary stating that through mutual agreement the matter was now at an end and could not be re-started at a later date. Imagine! I am attacked on my own land, incur lawyer fees, loss of income due to frequent day trips back to Tukums State Police Headquarters for endless meetings meant to disrupt our lives and demoralize us and the end result is a draw. So much for the concept of private property, civil society or self-defence in front of witnesses! And please note that in spite of being submitted to the State Police two (2) months ago this signed ruling has not yet been officially accepted by the State Police Inspector in charge of the case as she was on holiday and is unfortunately frequently pressured by the local Prosecutor on individual cases which may bear financial or political fruit. As of this writing we have actually yet to breath a sigh of relief in spite of this ruling.

I was lucky to get even this far as I am sure that the Prosecutor and litigants were not aware that I had a Permanent Residence Permit, that my Russian wife had one as a repatriate (and spoke Latvian fluently), that we lived full time in Latvia, that we had a legal and transparent business, employed locals, employed an accountant and paid taxes and met all the qualifications for citizenship laid out by current laws in Latvia as per EU standard. And even then I was forced to bow to my attacker simply because he was a citizen and I was not. Rule of law be damned.

And that is why Latvia must settle the issue of citizenship for it's Russian "occupants." There will never be any peace here until the language and citizenship issues are resolved and the European Union does itself no favours by admitting a country that will not, WILL NOT! resolve these discriminatory and illegal practices.

There is no investigative reporting in the Baltics let alone in Latvia. When people drive by our beautifully remonted property in  Tukums with the Latvian flag proudly displayed from our buildings on court designated days I hope the citizens of Europe realize just what price has been paid by the non-citizen land owners who have invested tens of thousands of Lats, soon to be Euros, for the "honour" of displaying the flag of a country that hates them.

Feel free to contact me for details.