RIGA, December 6 (RIA Novosti) – Latvian security police searched the homes of two leaders of a pro-Russian language party on Thursday, seizing computers and documents from one of them, mixnews.lv news website said.
Vladimir Linderman and Illarion Girs, leaders of the For the Native Language Party, confirmed via Facebook on Thursday that security police had showed up at their homes with search warrants.
The party, which advocates Russian interests in Latvia, spearheaded a referendum earlier this year to grant the Russian language official status in the Baltic country.
The referendum failed, with only about 25 percent of Latvians in favor of elevating Russian to official status. Several high-ranking Latvian politicians accused Linderman of inciting extremism.
Linderman has also pushed for autonomy for the Latgale region in Latvia, which is home to a large proportion of ethnic Russians, the information portal Regnum reported on Thursday.
In 2008 Linderman was accused of plotting the assassination of ex-Latvian President Vaira Vike Freiberga, but was later acquitted by a court on all charges.
Russians are the largest ethnic minority in Latvia, making up about 26 percent of the population. In the capital Riga they number about 46 percent, according to the latest census figures. Several different political parties claim to represent the interests of Russian-speakers in Latvia.
The status of the Russian language, as well as citizenship for ethnic Russians, remains a contentious issue in both Latvia and the other Baltic countries, particularly Estonia.
