{"id":206688,"date":"2026-10-08T16:47:31","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T13:47:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/206688\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T16:47:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T13:47:32","slug":"latvia-to-ban-members-of-local-councils-from-visiting-belarus-russia","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/206688\/","title":{"rendered":"Latvia to ban members of local councils from visiting Belarus, Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (vni.lv)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

October 8, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Latvia\u2019s Saeima (unicameral parliament) on October 8 urgently approved the final reading of a bill that would ban member of city and regional councils from visiting Belarus and Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lawmakers argued that local councils have access to detailed information about critical infrastructure, civil defense planning, transport and logistics hubs, and other assets under their control, and called for equal treatment for all elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ban currently applies only to some categories of officials and Saeima members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Delfi<\/em>, all MPs present voted in favor, while a majority of representatives of the pro\u2011Russian party For Stability! stayed away from the vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bill has to be signed by the president to take effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aleksejs Ros\u013cikovs, a former chairman of For Stability! who is still an influential figure within the party, fled to Belarus early last year after Latvian authorities opened a criminal case against him on charges of inciting national and ethnic hatred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Sunday\u2019s parliamentary elections, For Stability! received only around two percent of the vote, falling short of the threshold for entering the Saeima. The party won 6.88 percent in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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