The prosecutor has appealed the acquittal in the case of a Tajik who broke through the border in a car and evaded Latvian border guards.
An appeal has been filed against the decision of the Latgale District Court, which previously fully acquitted the man. After the verdict came into effect, he was to be refunded the bail of 2500 euros and the Lexus ES300 car he used to cross the border.
The case has now been transferred to the Latgale Regional Court, but a date for the appeal hearing has not yet been set.
The incident occurred on March 19 at the Terehovo border checkpoint. A citizen of Tajikistan and Russia named Dilshod broke through two barriers at high speed and illegally entered Latvia. Despite attempts by border guards to stop the vehicle, he continued driving towards Ludza. The man was later detained in the Ludza region.
In court, Dilshod explained his actions by saying that he was trying to avoid possible conscription to the war in Ukraine. According to him, while returning from Tajikistan, where his wife, four children, and parents live, he went through control on the Russian side of the border. There, security service officers became interested in his Russian citizenship and offered him to sign a number of documents.
The man claims that among the papers was a contract for service in the Russian army. Realizing this, he decided to leave Russian territory immediately and headed towards Latvia. After crossing the border, he did not stop right away, fearing that he might be sent back.
According to the accused, he did not intend to hide and even sought the address of the police station in Ludza on his own. Upon seeing a police car, he signaled with his headlights, indicating that he wanted to make contact with the law enforcement officers.
The first instance court found that the man acted in a state of extreme necessity and acquitted him. The prosecutor, on the other hand, insisted on a guilty verdict for the intentional illegal crossing of the state border using a vehicle and demanded a sentence of four months in prison.
Now the final decision is to be made by the appellate court.
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