OREANDA-NEWS. The detention of Russian-speaking journalists in Latvia on December 3 is nothing but fight against dissent and a violation of the principles of freedom of speech. This is stated in a commentary circulated on Friday by the Russian Embassy in Latvia.

“It would seem that the fight against dissent, a clear violation of the fundamental principles of freedom of speech and expression is in no way combined with the status of an “enlightened European state,” the text reads.

As the diplomatic mission noted, this time “the employees of the bureau of Sputnik in Riga, as well as a number of Russian-speaking journalists and social activists, were subjected to aggressive actions of the Latvian security forces.” In relation to them the special services “used a full range of repressive measures: arrests, interrogations, searches and criminal charges.”