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Reports
Latvia Monthly: Kremlin Channels Flip War Narrative, Cast Latvia as Aggressor
Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels are aggressively promoting the narrative that Latvia and its Western allies are the real instigators of conflict, portraying them as morally corrupt, militarily provocative, and Latvia as controlled by foreign powers. By framing Latvia’s defence initiatives and support for Ukraine as acts of aggression, these channels aim to justify Russian hostility and undermine trust in the Latvian government.
Read moreLatvia Weekly: Ethnic Persecution Claims and Conspiratorial Rhetoric
The Antifascists of Pribaltics and Roslikovs’ Telegram channels amplified narratives of ethnic persecution, moral decline, and Western control to portray Latvia as hostile to Russian speakers. Together, they deepen societal divisions and exploit legal and political tensions to fuel populist and pro-Kremlin sentiment.
Read moreLatvia 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.
Read moreLatvia 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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