The Saeima debates whether to revoke Latvian citizenship from former MEP Andrey Mamykins 0 8

Politician Rokpelnis explained that law enforcement agencies have already declared him wanted internationally, and as soon as Mamykins leaves Russia, he will be arrested.

"As for the deprivation of citizenship — there are legal nuances. If Latvian citizenship is his only one — it cannot be taken away, and it also needs to be assessed whether the deprivation of citizenship will mitigate the sanctions against him," said Rokpelnis.

For his part, the leader of the Progressive faction in the Saeima, Andris Shuvaevs, is confident that Mamykins should have his Latvian citizenship revoked. "His actions are directed against the Latvian state and our sovereignty. I expect that the Ministries of Justice and the Interior will evaluate this issue and propose a solution," the politician stated.

Mamykins was recalled after one of the Saeima deputies today called on social media for the Saeima to make a decision regarding the revocation of Mamykins' citizenship.

As reported by bb.lv, Member of the European Parliament Rihards Kols (National Alliance) stated at the end of January that he had submitted a complaint to the State Security Service regarding Mamykins' public statements on Russian television.

In his letter to the security service, Kols cited specific statements made by Mamykins in January of this year on the Russian TV channel "Russia 1 — Evening with Vladimir Solovyov." On air, Mamykins stated: "If you plan to conduct exercises with 'Oreshnik' without nuclear warheads, using only kinetic strikes, then do it against the Baltic states, because they are not worth pitying." He urged to "enjoy" such a strike with popcorn and noted that he would like to see Latvians perish.

Back in June 2024, the International Cooperation Department of the Prosecutor General's Office issued a European arrest warrant for Mamykins, who is accused of glorifying and justifying war crimes committed by the aggressor state in Ukraine. In the program of the Russian TV channel "Russia 1" on September 21, 2023, "Evening with Vladimir Solovyov," Mamykins stated that "Russia is doing a powerful, holy work in Ukraine."

The maximum penalty for such a crime, as provided by the Criminal Code, is imprisonment for up to five years.

Mamykins was born in 1976, obtained a master's degree in philology from the University of Latvia, and worked in journalism for several years. He then moved to Russia and stated that he did so to prevent his "sons from having to participate in gay parades."

In 2014, he ran for the European Parliament elections on the list of the Social Democratic Party "Harmony" and was elected.

In 2021, Mamykins began working at the State Labor Inspectorate of Latvia as the head of strategic communications, but during the inspection, the employment relationship was terminated.