Latvia Adopts Law to Strip Citizenship for War Crimes Support
Latvia Adopts Law to Strip Citizenship for War Crimes Support
(Bloomberg) --
Latvia’s parliament adopted a law that allows authorities to take citizenship away, a move that comes after calls to rescind the status for sanctioned Russian billionaire Petr Aven in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
Parliament voted 62-1 with 14 abstentions to pass the legislation, which doesn’t mention Aven or any other individual. Citizenship can be revoked for those who support genocide, crimes against peace, territorial integrity and a democratic state’s constitutional order, according to the text.
The rule applies only to citizens who have more than one passport and any decision can be challenged in court.
The Justice Ministry proposed the legislation to parliament after criticism of Aven’s case. Public calls after Russia’s invasion began to rescind Aven’s citizenship prompted Latvian Justice Minister Janis Bordans to say he would study the case.
Aven, whose net worth is $5.6 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, has called the move unjustified and insisted that he opposes the invasion.
“I have Latvian roots, I appreciate and love this country,” Aven said in a statement earlier this month when the legislation was introduced. “I have repeatedly stated that I am against the war, there is no justification for it.”
Aven has had his assets frozen since he came under European Union penalties in response to Russia’s attack. In Latvia, he’s been stripped of an honorary doctorate and a top state award.
Aven, whose grandfather was Latvian, was granted citizenship in 2016 after meeting naturalization requirements and passing a language exam. The billionaire has been accused in media reports of receiving help passing the language test.
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