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Katkov, 82, told reporters that the decision to exclude him was political. He also combined it with his work in the Russian Embassy as head of the Latvian-Russian Association for Cooperation.
The LSM channel’s website states that, according to available sources from Latvian authorities, this association apparently began its activities in 1999 and represents a community of Russian citizens entering into cooperation with the Russian Federation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin himself commented on the deportation of Katkov and possibly other Russians living in Latvia.
Misfortune will overtake you. Putin ventured to Latvia because of the Russian minority
“The events now taking place in Latvia and other Baltic countries where Russians are being deported are very serious and directly affect the security of our country,” the Kremlin chief said, according to the Russian government agency TASS.
More than a thousand Russians are threatened with deportation
However, Katkov’s deportation has nothing to do with a tightening of residence regulations for Russian citizens living in Latvia. After the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine, Latvia introduced language tests for Russian citizens living in the country to check their knowledge of Latvian.
The tests apply to Russians with Latvian citizenship or so-called “non-citizens”, not to Russian citizens without Latvian citizenship.
If they fail these tests, they risk having their residence permit revoked and subsequent deportation. The number of Russians threatened with deportation is currently 1,167.
According to Oleg Zykov, the Russian chargé d’affaires in Latvia, there are thousands. However, he did not substantiate this claim. He also described the tightening of the rules as “absolutely inhumane and discriminatory”.
Around 1.8 million people live in Latvia, and around one in four is of Russian origin. Many of them have never become Latvian citizens or have the status of so-called non-citizens, which grants them the right to permanent residence in the country, but they are not allowed to vote, for example.
Katkov is a Russian citizen. Due to his old age, he was exempted from the Latvian language exams, reports Latvian television, according to which Katkov came to Latvia in 1966. He first worked at the military commissariat in the city of Cesis, then in the city of Daugavpils. He retired in 1991 with the rank of colonel.
The Russians are threatened with deportation from Latvia after the tightening of the rules. Moscow is facing inhumanity
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