Baltic States – CIS, Culture, Latvia, Russia

He said that his decision has been based on the assessment of Latvia's security services and Part 2 of Section 61 of the Immigration Law.

In summer, Latvian Justice Minister Janis Bordans (New Conservative Party) voiced discontent over Latvia’s hesitance to blacklist Russian singer Grigory Leps who was one of the guest artists performing at Latvian pop singer Laima Vaikule’s music festival Laima Rendezvous Jurmala. Bordans accused Leps of close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s criminal circles.

The justice minister believes Latvia should follow in the footsteps of Lithuania and the US and put Leps on the blacklist of persons banned from entering the country. Bordans also slammed the agencies subordinated to Interior Minister Sandis Girgens’ (KPV LV) for not blacklisting the Russian singer.

The Interior Ministry’s spokesman Maris Zarins told LETA/BNS that the interior minister or the foreign minister can decide on blacklisting persons based on findings provided by a competent authority.

Bordans voiced dissatisfaction over the interior minister’s failure to blacklist Leps after a meeting with Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) on July 23. He also denounced Girgens for attending Leps’ show at the Laima Rendezvous Jurmala. “This is just as scandalous as the show Russia Today staged at the studio of Latvian Television to humiliate the Latvian state. In this case, the interior minister was put in the front row to humiliate the Latvian state,” the justice minister said.

Leps has been blacklisted also by Ukraine and Israel.