The Latvian security service SSS, in evaluating mayors for access to state secrets, considers their trips to aggressor countries and their public statements as risks.
The State Security Service (SSS), in evaluating mayors and their deputies for access to state secrets, considers trips to aggressor countries for cooperation projects and the dissemination of propaganda messages as risk factors, according to the SSS annual report for 2025.
In dozens of cases, the SSS had to extend the verification deadlines due to the very large volume of information being checked and the need to obtain additional information.
The most common risk factors identified by the service include, for example, trips to Russia or Belarus, having relatives or other contacts in Russia or Belarus, participation in previous cross-border cooperation projects with Russia or Belarus, dissemination of messages based on Kremlin propaganda, as well as the initiation of a criminal case against an official.
The report does not state whether any of these risk factors served as the basis for denying access. At the same time, the SSS confirms that last year, the chairman of the municipality was denied access to state secrets based on the provision of the law on state secrets that a person had previously been convicted of committing a deliberate crime. This person is now former mayor of Jūrmala Gatis Truksnis, who resigned after the SSS's negative decision. According to the LETA agency's archive, several years ago, Truksnis was fined as part of the so-called "business trip case."
Earlier this week, it was reported that among the heads of municipalities who applied for access to state secrets, only the chairman of the Rezekne City Council Alexander Bartashevich and Truksnis were denied.
The SSS also denied a special permit to one deputy chairman of the municipality. The institution continues to analyze five more deputy chairmen of municipalities.
This year and last year, the SSS issued special permits for access to state secrets to 40 chairmen and 71 deputy chairmen of municipalities.
In 94 cases, a special permit was issued for the full five-year term, while 17 officials - eight chairmen and nine deputies - received special permits for a shorter term.
The Minister of Smart Governance and Regional Development Raimonds Čudars demanded Bartashevich's resignation due to the denial of access to state secrets. Bartashevich has not yet made any public statements regarding the situation.
Čudars is expecting explanations from Bartashevich by the beginning of next week, promising to make necessary decisions "immediately after the deadline for providing explanations expires."
Meanwhile, the mayor of Ogre Egils Helmanis (National Alliance), who had long delayed submitting documents for access, announced his resignation this week. He was succeeded by former deputy mayor Andris Krauja, who received access.
