(Reuters) – Russian citizens residing in Latvia participated in their home country’s presidential election on Sunday, while protestors against President Vladimir Putin assembled in front of the embassy in Riga for a peaceful “noon against Putin” demonstration.
Although many recent arrivals in Latvia were expected to vote against Putin or join the protest, longer-term Russian residents were more hesitant to share their opinions.
As of the beginning of 2023, there were approximately 37,906 Russian citizens living in Latvia, a nation of just 1.88 million people, who have been strongly opposed to Putin since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Organizers of the protest in Riga estimated that around 100 demonstrators against Moscow’s actions in the war and supporters of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny gathered in front of the embassy by noon (1000 GMT). This event mirrored similar “noon against Putin” protests that occurred in various parts of Russia and foreign capitals.
“We already know the outcome of the election, but there is hope that these will be the last such elections,” stated one of the organizers, Marina Fomina.
Some elderly voters interviewed by Reuters outside the polling station in Riga, located at Russia’s embassy in the city, expressed that it was their civic duty to vote without disclosing which candidate they would be supporting.
Putin, aged 71 and having been in power for over two decades, is expected to secure another six-year term in the election, which was wrapping up on Sunday evening.
Vladimir, a permanent resident in Latvia who only provided his first name, shared that he came to cast a blank ballot, stating, “I don’t want war, I don’t want things like in Ukraine.”
Andrei, aged 28 and voting in a Russian election for the first time, mentioned that he planned to vote against Putin, even though he acknowledged that the results are likely predictable, as it might be the only means to oppose the ongoing war.
Kirill Martynov, the editor in chief of Novaya Gazeta Europe, an independent Russian media outlet established in Riga in April 2022 following the implementation of wartime censorship in Russia, indicated his intention to protest these elections by spoiling his ballot.
Latvian law enforcement, including the police and border guards, were verifying voters’ documentation outside the polling station. Armands Ruks, the Latvian State Police chief, explained that these checks were conducted to ensure that Russian citizens participating in the voting process were abiding by the law.
By noon, 351 individuals had their documents reviewed at the entrance of the Russian embassy in Riga, with 14 individuals found to have expired residency permits, as reported by local media citing the State Police.
One voter expressed fear in speaking to the media or revealing her identity due to concerns that her residency permit in Latvia might not be renewed.
The Russian embassy denounced instances of Latvian identity documents being confiscated from Russian voters, with some citizens now being required to visit the migration service to obtain an order to leave.
(Reporting by Dagmarah Mackos in Riga and Lina Golovnya in Gdansk; Editing by Frances Kerry)
