Andrei Lankov, a specialist on Korea, has been detained in Latvia and is being taken to the immigration service, reported the agency Curiosophy Events, which organized the lecture.
“Andrei Nikolayevich is safe, awaiting the arrival of a lawyer. The Australian consul has been informed of the situation,” the organizers added.
Latvian law enforcement agencies have not commented on the incident.
Lankov was taken away by Latvian police during a lecture in Riga, eyewitnesses report. The lecture was supposed to be about North Korea — “North Korea: what the elites want and what they fear.”
The event organizers stated that the professor has been placed on Latvia's “black list.” What will happen to him next is unclear.
“It’s a difficult time, anything can happen. It’s a matter of life,” Lankov commented on the incident.
The lecture organizers noted that the Latvian authorities did not send any notifications about placing the professor on the “black list.” According to Lankov, he holds both Russian and Australian citizenship.
Andrei Lankov is a Russian historian, an expert in East Asian studies, and a leading global expert on North Korea. He holds a Doctor of Historical Sciences degree and is a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul.
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