Member of the European Parliament offered himself to Latvia instead of two Russian political prisoners
Member of the European Parliament from Latvia Miroslav Mitrofanov sent a letter to the Latvian security police, in which he offered himself instead of two political prisoners - politicians and activists - Alexander Gaponenko and Vladimir Linderman, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
Gaponenko and Linderman are accused of inciting ethnic hatred, organizing mass riots, and actions directed against state sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Latvia.
Mitrofanov believes that the charges are related to the speeches of Gaponenko and Linderman at the All-Latvian Parents' Meeting, where the problem of abandoning the Russian language in Latvian schools was discussed. The MEP publicly took responsibility for the event.
“In order to stop the senseless interrogations of innocent people, some of whom have no relation to political organizations, I am ready to give answers to questions that interest investigators. In particular, I responsibly confirm that I personally decided on the form, time and place of the Meeting, and I also gave organizational instructions for holding the event. It is no secret to anyone that I personally chaired the meeting and determined who would speak and when,” says Mitrofanov’s letter, which is published on the social network by the Russian Union of Latvia.
For the sake of his comrades, he is even ready to renounce his immunity as a member of the European Parliament.
“I am ready to personally appear at a mutually acceptable time to the Police in order to give an explanation of how I organized the meeting. Moreover, if my comrades Gaponenko and Linderman are released from prison before the trial, I am ready to ask the European Parliament to lift my parliamentary immunity and, upon making this decision, I am ready to be under arrest instead of my comrades,” Mitrofanov wrote.
At the same time, he emphasized that the Parents' Meeting and the discussion that unfolded at it were in accordance with the legislation of Latvia.
“I am going to continue organizing both discussion events and mass protests dedicated to changing the language of education in schools of national minorities of the Republic of Latvia,” Mitrofanov said.
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