Latvia, Legislation, Markets and Companies, Technology

Using the pseudonym of Neo and portraying himself as a member of a fictitious organization called "The Fourth Awakening People's Army" (4ATA), Poikans published information revealing that unauthorized persons could take advantage of a flaw in the Electronic Declaring System (EDS) software and access taxpayers' records.

Poikans, a scientist who works for the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the University of Latvia’s Mathematics and Information Institute, obtained 7.4 million classified files using a simple computer script that he had devised.

Journalist Nagla informed society about the matter through a report for her program "De Facto" on Latvian State Television. Several months after the report was broadcast, she and Poikans were arrested and held for several days. Her home was searched and a computer and other data storage devices were removed.

"We are outraged by the way a completely unwarranted criminal investigation has been used to harass Poikans and Nagla," Reporters Without Borders said. "What they reported was absolutely true and has not been disputed by the authorities. We demand the immediate withdrawal of all the charges against them".

"The judicial harassment, which began in February, has gone on for too long and violates all the European standards as regards media freedom. Poikans and Nagla are not to blame for the scandal resulting from the tax office's flawed software. They just used their right to shed light on a matter that was very clearly of public interest.”

Although Poikans and Nagla continue to be the target of judicial proceedings, the investigation into the SRS personnel responsible for the flaw and the company who developed the EDS software has been cancelled. The only measure taken was to deduct 20% from the salaries of three SRS employees for one month as a disciplinary measure.

"We deplore the very strange and one-sided approach adopted by the Latvian authorities in this case," Reporters Without Borders added. "The people who were to blame for the problem were left alone, while those who legitimately informed their fellow-citizens about the dangers to their privacy are being prosecuted. The authorities seem to be showing a marked preference for media silence in a case involving a key element of state responsibility."