Reports
Latvia Weekly: Russian Language Debate Fuels Radical Rhetoric
Aleksejs Roslikovs sparked major controversy with his parliamentary declaration "There are more of us! We cannot be banned!" in response to proposed Russian language restrictions, leading to criminal proceedings for allegedly assisting Russia and inciting hatred. Following incidents including a hanging his effigy and offensive football fan posters targeting him, Roslikovs has leveraged these threats to construct a comprehensive victimization narrative on social media, portraying himself as a persecuted defender of Russian speakers against what he characterizes as organized extremist persecution and broader conspiracies by Latvia's establishment.
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Echoes from Kremlin: Narratives Fueling Division in Latvia
“Latvia is failing, the West is evil, Russians are victims.” These are not fringe opinions — they are the dominant narratives across Russian-language Facebook and Telegram channels targeting Latvia’s Russophone community. Despite the ban on Kremlin media, disinformation continues to thrive online, repackaging old Soviet tropes into emotionally charged, culturally resonant stories. A new report, “Echoes from the Kremlin,” reveals how four persistent narratives — Russophobia, Economic Hardships, the Failed State, and the Bad West — continue to shape perceptions and deepen divides. These aren't innovative strategies. They're effective because they exploit long-standing grievances and identity fractures, not because they’re new. The real threat isn’t the message itself — it’s the societal vulnerability that makes it stick.
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Latvia Weekly: MP’s Arrest Fuels Populist Narrative Online
Aleksejs Roslikovs transformed his detention by Latvia's State Security Service on charges of assisting Russia and inciting hatred into a powerful social media narrative of political martyrdom, portraying himself as a persecuted victim fighting government oppression. His TikTok videos reframing the criminal investigation as evidence of his heroic resistance demonstrate how populist politicians can exploit legal troubles to strengthen their anti-establishment credentials and generate massive online engagement.
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Latvia Weekly: Pushing Anti-Latvian Narratives to Russian-Speaking Audiences
The "Antifascists of Pribaltics" Telegram channel portrays Latvia as systematically Russophobic. The channel also promotes conspiracies about Latvia being an EU puppet state as well as anti-Ukraine sentiments.
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