Latvian court sentenced Russian blogger to prison and deportation from the country 0 135

The court ruled to sentence Russian citizen Khromenko to one year of imprisonment, after which he will be deported from Latvia. The verdict has not yet come into legal force.

According to the publication, Khromenko is accused of posting four videos in Russian through his profile "hromen71" on the social network TikTok from July 13 to October 4, 2024, in which he glorified and justified war crimes committed by the armed forces of Russia in Ukraine.

For example, on July 13, in one of the videos, he stated that he always carries a St. George ribbon in his car but has to hide it in the glove compartment due to such laws in Latvia. During the recording, he displayed the St. George ribbon and the Russian flag, as well as expressed support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

On August 30, he published a video in which he threatened retribution and stated that "very serious guys, such as 'Akhmat', 'Wagner', will come."

"In one neutral country, Russians were also starved, killed, and the Russian language was banned... Now we know what is happening there. And look, then they will come for you. I know that they will take revenge for me later. Those of us Russians that you see here, they will take revenge for us. Serious guys will come, and you will be running with your pants down and hiding. And then you will cry on camera and say that you didn't want this," Latvijas Avīze quotes from the video.

On September 27, the accused published another video in which, manipulating facts and using rhetorical questions and phrases, he said:

"Do you really want to destroy Latvia with the name 'Latvia'? There will be a massacre. And Russia has changed its Military Doctrine. Yes, and the nuclear one too! Now it is possible to 'strike' and not against a nuclear power. Are you really ready to die so that you are wiped off the face of the earth? I think they won't strike here while there are Russians here, while there are citizens of Russia."

When Judge Ilona Rudzīte asked Khromenko if he pleaded guilty, he replied in Latvian with a denial. During the investigation, he stated that all this controversy on his part was a response to public insults directed at him and other Russian speakers, who were called disloyal "vatniks," the publication reports.

According to Khromenko, his goal was to respond to this humiliation and show what nationalism can lead to. He considered the phrases about "serious guys" who would take revenge as rhetorical intimidation and a harsh warning about the consequences of national enmity, rather than glorification of the crimes of these groups.

This was Khromenko's first time in the dock. He is a citizen of Russia, residing in Latvia on a residence permit, which expires in the middle of next year.

Prosecutor Uldis Kursiņš stated that the accused, despite warnings from the Security Police about the illegality of his actions, continued to publish and deserves punishment in the form of imprisonment and deportation from the country.

In his final statement, Khromenko stated that he was born and lives in Latvia — a democratic and free country. He admitted that his statements might have been overly harsh, but in his opinion, they do not contain the elements of the crime he is accused of, writes Latvijas Avīze.

The judge found Khromenko guilty and sentenced him to one year of imprisonment. After serving his sentence, he will be deported from Latvia and will not be allowed to enter the country for four years.

The verdict has not yet come into force and can be appealed in the Kurzeme District Court.