Latvia's Saeima bans local MPs from travelling to Russia and Belarus

New restriction for local-level elected officials

The Saeima of Latvia has finally approved legislative changes that prohibit members of local self-government bodies from travelling to the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. This provision applies not only to direct visits but also to transit through the territories of these states.

The decision to adopt the amendments in the final reading was made on an urgent basis on 8 October. The document provides for amendments to the law on restrictions on actions that pose a threat to national security.

Expansion of the list of affected individuals

Previously, similar restrictions already applied to various categories of civil servants. These included individuals with access to state secrets, employees of certain ministries and law enforcement agencies, military personnel, diplomats, representatives of judicial and prosecutorial bodies, as well as members of the Latvian parliament and their staff.

Now, members of local councils have been added to this list.

Justification of security risks

Raimonds Bergmanis, head of the Saeima committee on defence, internal affairs and corruption prevention, explained why there was a need to introduce such restrictions. He drew attention to the role of local MPs in the civil protection system.

In his words, local MPs play an important role in the civil protection system, particularly in border regions where border infrastructure is being developed and important defence issues are being addressed.

According to him, every self-government body has a civil protection plan, and MPs are an integral part of it. Therefore, it is critically important to avoid situations where people who have access to security-related information or participate in managing crisis situations could come under the influence of Russia or Belarus.

Liability for violations

Latvian authorities have previously also warned about the risks of Russian and Belarusian intelligence activities and called on citizens to refrain from travelling to these countries.

Under current rules, violating the travel ban may serve as an independent ground for terminating the employment relationship with the violator.