The Latvian website, Telegraf.lv wrote that the Constitution Protection Bureau (Latvian Counter Intelligence: SAB) said publically that the campaign to rename the Avenue of Dzhokhar Dudaev (Džohara Dudajeva gatve) in Riga, which was implemented on the eve of Latvian parliamentary elections was initiated by the Russian security services (FSB).

The action for renaming the street Dudaev was held on August 25, 2010. It was timed to coincide with the visit of Yuri Luzhkov (then occupied the post of Mayor of Moscow) in Riga. The picket was held outside of the Riga City Council. Russian media reported that for this purpose an NGO was established and these attempts were supported by ZaPcHeL (the party For Human Rights in United Latvia). But after the start of the picket, the police arrested 15 demonstrators, including the parliamentarian Vladimir Buzaeva and ex-MPs Natalia Elkin and Alexander Kuzmin.

However, the SAB report says that the real initiator of the event was an officer from the Russian security service FSB: Dmitry Ermolaev, a journalist as editor of Riga.rosvesty.ru and actively cooperate with Regnum news agency. According to the SAB, Regnum is often used “as a platform for the event information influences, including those targeted at political circles in Russia”.

In the report, which was published by the Latvian counterintelligence, also got information about the search for alleged Russian spy. The Bureau issued a composite sketch of the man, saying that he was involved in gathering intelligence about domestic politics in Latvia.

*Text was translated by Waynakh Online and edited by Michael Capobianco