Report
Latvia Monthly: Disinformation Peaks Ahead of Final Vote on Istanbul Convention Withdrawal
While Kremlin-aligned disinformation has long been present in Latvia’s information space, the more alarming development is how local politicians have brought these tactics into the center of mainstream politics, making conspiracy theories and fabricated threats core components of parliamentary debate. Conservative and populist politicians like oligarch Ainārs Šlesers now routinely claim the Istanbul Convention promotes “117 genders” and enables forced gender transitions for children, combining Russian-style narratives about Western moral decay with Trumpian manipulation tactics including personal ridicule, “Sorosist” conspiracies, and apocalyptic calls to “save Latvia.”
Weekly Reports
Latvia Weekly: Opposition Leaders Portray Themselves as Victims of Systemic Bias
Two Latvian opposition politicians have constructed narratives of systematic persecution, with Rosļikovs framing his prosecution for pro-Russian activities as evidence of disproportionate punishment for defending minority rights, while Ainars Šlesers alleges state-funded media bias that promotes government-aligned causes while suppressing dissent. Both narratives challenge the legitimacy of Latvia’s institutions by portraying courts and public media as politicized tools of the ruling coalition rather than neutral arbiters, using claims of selective justice to position themselves as martyrs and mobilize support among audiences suspicious of institutional fairness.
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Estonia Weekly: Arrest of Oleg Besedin Sparks Kremlin-Aligned Narratives
The arrest of Oleg Besedin sparked a wave of pro-Kremlin commentary portraying him as a victim of anti-Russian persecution, while simultaneously fueling political infighting in Tallinn over past city contracts linked to his media companies.
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Lithuania Weekly: Kremlin Media Exploit Belarus Tensions
This week, pro-Kremlin outlets in Lithuania focused their coverage on debates surrounding Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė and the country’s fraught relations with Belarus, alleging the government manipulates public messaging and stirs tensions for political gain. Concurrently, the narrative around low-flying balloon incidents was leveraged to question Lithuania’s crisis readiness, while commentator efforts to normalise rapprochement with Belarus surfaced in social-media circles – signalling persistent attempts to sway public perception and undermine Lithuania’s strategic alignment.
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Latvia Weekly: Disinformation Peaks as Saeima Votes to Withdraw from the Istanbul Convention
Following the Parliamentary vote for Latvia to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, opposition politicians launched disinformation campaigns falsely claiming the anti-violence treaty would permit men in women’s restrooms and attacking supporters as foreign agents. These narratives deliberately distorted the Convention’s actual purpose of protecting women from violence, replacing substantive debate with inflammatory rhetoric about gender identity and national betrayal.
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Monthly Reports
Latvia Monthly: Disinformation Peaks Ahead of Final Vote on Istanbul Convention Withdrawal
While Kremlin-aligned disinformation has long been present in Latvia’s information space, the more alarming development is how local politicians have brought these tactics into the center of mainstream politics, making conspiracy theories and fabricated threats core components of parliamentary debate. Conservative and populist politicians like oligarch Ainārs Šlesers now routinely claim the Istanbul Convention promotes “117 genders” and enables forced gender transitions for children, combining Russian-style narratives about Western moral decay with Trumpian manipulation tactics including personal ridicule, “Sorosist” conspiracies, and apocalyptic calls to “save Latvia.”
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Estonia Monthly: Kremlin Media Exploit Local Elections
In October 2025, pro-Kremlin commentators seized on Estonia’s municipal elections and language-law debates to portray the country as “Russophobic” and repressive toward Russian-speaking minorities. The narrative escalated after authorities barred several Latvian politicians from entering Estonia for a Russian-language community event, which malign networks reframed as an attack on free speech — merging ethnic-discrimination claims with pre-election propaganda themes.
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Lithuania Monthly: Protests Erupt as the New Culture Minister Faces Public Backlash
The appointment of Ignotas Adomavičius as Minister of Culture has triggered widespread protests across Lithuania. What began as a political appointment has evolved into a nationwide debate about cultural freedom, democratic values, and the growing use of cultural policy as a tool of political power.
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Latvia Monthly: Disinformation Portrays Latvia as Both Militarily Weak and Recklessly Aggressive
Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels in September disseminated multiple narratives about Latvia, including portraying language education policies as discriminatory oppression, mocking military capabilities, and framing Russian military exercises as transparent while dismissing Baltic security concerns. Domestic disinformation intensified around the Istanbul Convention, with opposition politicians fabricating conspiracy theories about gender ideology and immorality to misrepresent a violence prevention treaty and undermine human rights protections.
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