“I somehow didn’t have the sense” - The accused confessed to listening to the Russian anthem 0 12

As reported by Latvijas Avīze, the defendant on February 28, 2022, posted a map of Ukraine on his social media account, which "was depicted as occupied by the Russian Federation." Additionally, on August 28, 2024, the man, while in the yard of an apartment building in Jelgava on Pasta Street, repeatedly shouted: "Russia, forward!" to the musical accompaniment of the anthem set to Alexandrov's music, with lyrics by Mikhalkov.

"After reading the charges, Judge Andris Škutans asked Mark if he understood what criminal act he was being accused of. The man, who speaks Latvian relatively fluently, with only a slight accent, managed without a translator in court. Mark said: "Yes, I understand. At that moment, I wasn’t thinking about it, as I was a bit out of my mind. I regret all of this..." Judge: "Do you fully admit your guilt?" Mark: "Yes, I fully admit my guilt. My relatives live in Dnipro. Somehow I didn’t have the sense... I fully admit my guilt, I regret..."

"Taking this into account, the criminal case can be considered without checking the evidence," notes Latvijas Avīze. "Mark has not been previously criminally punished. The man has two higher education degrees, he works as self-employed, with an income of about 1000 euros per month. Mark recently started a family, there are currently no dependents, but a firstborn will soon be born."

However, prosecutor Ainars Persidskis stated that he was not sure about the "genuine remorse for the deed." The judge found the accused guilty and imposed exactly the sentence that the prosecutor demanded.