Latvia sentences in prison tiktoker, who glorified Russia and war

The Riga City Court has sentenced Dmitry Matayev, a TikTok content creator, to one year in prison for promoting hate speech and supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to the Delfi news portal.

The court found Matayev guilty under two articles of the Latvian Criminal Code, with the sentence incorporating his time in detention since 25 April 2024, when State Security Service (SDS) officers initially arrested him.

The case originated from Matayev’s TikTok videos published in Russian, which authorities determined contained elements of criminal activity.

SDS officials stated that Matayev “expressed support for Russia and the war in Ukraine” and “aggressively and with hatred spoke about Latvians and other Latvia residents supporting Ukraine.”

During investigative actions, security services seized multiple data carriers, personal notes, and items bearing Russian and Soviet symbolism.

Matayev had previously come under SDS scrutiny in 2023 due to aggressive comments on Facebook supporting Russia.

In August 2023, SDS conducted a preventive conversation with Matayev, warning him that his actions could be considered criminal. Despite this warning, Matayev continued creating content, particularly on TikTok and Telegram, where he complained about alleged “linguistic genocide against Russians.”

The investigation revealed a pattern of provocative behavior that ultimately led to criminal prosecution, demonstrating Latvia’s strict approach to hate speech and pro-Russian propaganda.

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