According to a report in the Baltic Times, seven foreign tourists have been arrested in Riga for damaging Latvian flags:
The men were visibly drunk, and officers found more damaged Latvian flags on them, but the vandals had managed to throw some of the flags in the river. The young men have been taken to a police station, and are facing criminal prosecution for desecrating a national symbol.
In recent years the growth of tourism in Riga, fuelled by the availability of cheap flights, has sadly gone hand-in-hand with a rise in bad behaviour. Most notorious are the Brits and (to a lesser extent) Scandinavians, although in this latest case the tourists are said to be Spanish and Portuguese.
The most infamous incident occurred in November 2006, when a British man was arrested for urinating on the city’s Freedom Monument. One of Riga’s best loved landmarks, it was built during the first period of independence and somehow survived during the Soviet era (although a Lenin statue was placed nearby). People laying flowers at the base of the monument risked being deported to Siberia, and it is not surprising that it still carries a powerful symbolic charge. In March of this year, another British tourist found himself in trouble for urinating close to the monument while his friends took photographs of the act.
The British Embassy offers a series of very basic tips for those in any doubt about acceptable behaviour, but it really just comes down to a bit of courtesy. Clearly it hasn’t worked as in desperation the Embassy has more recently tried to ram the message home by handing out leaflets and beer mats (if anyone can scan one of those then let me know and I’ll post it).
All the signs are that this summer things will continue in the same vein, alienating people who actually live in the city – including the police. It is not entirely surprising that Riga’s police have a reputation for being less than fully interested when things go wrong for drunken groups (of which more another time…)
24 responses so far ↓
1 cell // May 22, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Anyone knows what happened those young men? I am curious about the trial and the punishment. It is obvious that they were drunk and did not intend anything but still I wonder what is going on right now..
2 John // May 22, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Good question – I’ll post an update if I hear anything. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
3 Kangrejo // May 23, 2007 at 10:58 am
FREEDOM FOR MIGUEL!!!!
trampling on the Latvian flag isn´t a criminal action!! they are SPANISH HEROES!!!
7 days in jail!!!
4 John // May 23, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Hmm… Apparently it is a criminal action in Latvia. Whatever you think about that, it would be hard to make a case for them as ‘Spanish heroes’. I was interested by your comment on ‘7 days in jail’ though – if you have any more information then please do post the link.
Personally, I find it hard to see why damaging the flag should be a criminal act. In the UK we are generally a lot less up in arms about that than, for example, many Americans. Tearing it down from a public building and then damaging it is really another matter – we aren’t talking about peaceful protest here. It’s hard to comment without knowing the details of what happened, but it sounds like there is a case for charging them with being drunk and disorderly (or the Latvian equivalent).
Broadening this out, I would be interested to hear from anyone with an opinion on the behaviour of foreign tourists in the Baltic capitals.
5 Kangrejo // May 23, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Hi John!
first of all we´d like to apologize for the expresion “Spanish Heroes”, we don´t think so. It was only a joke between friends…. we´re classmates , at the university, of one of the arrested guys. We know that the action is really condemnable, we haven´t spoke to our friend, so we can´t know what really happened, but we´re certain they aren´t criminals… In Spain, Law is very permisive with this kind of actions and they surely did that under alcoholic effects.
We only know that they were arrested 7 days ago and they are still under police custody. Obviously their families have started conversation with the consulated and Latvian Justice.
When i have news from them i´ll write here.
thank you for your interest.
6 Dr. Joachim Neumann // May 23, 2007 at 7:40 pm
7 John // May 24, 2007 at 10:46 am
Kangrejo – No need to apologise. I wasn’t sure whether to approve your original comment for the blog, but it sounded like you had ‘inside’ knowledge so I did allow it and I’m glad that I did. Thanks for explaining the situation. As someone who has written for various print publications over the years, but is new to blogging, this is something which I find amazing – the chance to get an instant reaction from readers in other parts of the world.
Dr Neumann – Thank you for your detailed insight into what has happened so far. I have decided to write a new post in response, as it was getting a bit lengthy for the comments section. Please keep an eye out for it. I will also contact you by email.
8 Tanya // May 26, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Hi all!
I just want to tell that i was shocked by the effort to make ordinary drunk bullhit(i still cant believe they could do smth bad with flag) into political action by mass media.When i was reading russian comments on this news on latvian sites i felt sorry for my nation:(how it is possible to “eat” what press prepares so easily!?Guys respond now for bad behaviour of all stupid tourists who come to Riga and whom Riga ppl hate..now they found ppl to satisfy their need of judgment.
sometimes judgement from ppl around can be even worse and harder than trial…
Anyway far away Ekaterinburg supports guys!
Joao Turbo rulezz:)
9 Fanis // May 28, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Hi Everybody,
I am form Greece and I would like also to express my support for these 7 young boys. I hope that soon enough they will be able to be with their parents and friend back home.
10 Pilu // May 28, 2007 at 10:07 pm
Hi guys, Pilu speaking here, from Italy..
I’m a very good friend of some of the guys involved in the sad matter…
At the same time, I also know very well the attittude of Latvian people/police to foreigners, as I was a tourist guide for Italians in Riga last year, after being tourist myself for couples of years… Useless to even mention how many Latvian friends I’ve got.. n they are fantastic poeple, although the latest tourist invasion hasn’t helped to relieve the state of strain, above all in the summertime, brought about by an undefined amount of drunkers..
However, in this case, the thing’s that… this is simply too much!!
These people are far from being criminal, they are super cool folks with excellent jobs and who’ve been brought up in well-to-do families, besides being used to travel a lot and thus being well aware on how to behave…
Then, it simply happened they got drunk n bored one night n passed the threshold… a stupid joke that is pretended now to be turned into a state affair!!!!
Surely, this is arguable, but still, do they deserve to be treated like this (I mean, very very badly, without any guarantees whatsoever, as far as I heard)?
I saw tens of people tearing away the Olympic flag in Torino 2006, would these pople have risked to be sentenced?
Hope they’ll be released soon n won’t pay for all the f… tourists who get away with it in spite of doing worse things….
Cheers,
Pilu
11 Latvian // May 29, 2007 at 7:16 pm
It is very serious offence in Latvia to mess with symbols. Maximum what they can get is 6 years but, probably they will get away with ban on traveling into country for 10 years and fine ~5k Euro. British traveler for urinating was jailed for 1 month , banned from country for 25years and 3k Sterling fine.
12 cell - in // May 31, 2007 at 11:37 am
I am not going to discuss what these gentelmen involved in and its social or historical effects on Latvia.
What I want to point out is, as a lawyer, considering that, if it is true ,that they have not been still able to communicate their family or they have not exercised their right to have private meetings with their lawyers…It is against the fundamental human rights!!! In this case I just wonder what the Spanish and Portugese authorities do in order to protect their citizens considering that none of us is aware what kind of raw deal they get.
What surprises me is, they are called as ‘vandals’ in an article…they are not vandals..they had travelled through Europe for the last years and they turned back with flags of the countries they visited..not to tear, not to burn..just to decorate their walls in a respective and friendly way..So, they may be called ‘drunk’ , they may be called discourteous but they can not be called VANDALS!!! they did not intend to fight against any culture..
The pecuniary penalty -fine- is absolutly okey but restraint their freedom is not proportional.
To put their families, friends in a position to worry about their current conditions is against any morals..
13 Isil Sakraker // Jun 1, 2007 at 9:25 am
Hello, this is Isil from Turkey
For the ones who know these 7 young men, it is already so obvious that they are not any criminals! For the ones who don’t know them, please read other comments here by the ones who know ‘em.
We are watching the incredible process, and trying to hear some news from them which is not easy at all.
Be strong my dears, there are too many people all around Europe supporting you and actually doing and preparing manifestations!!
I just hope the real justice will come to light soon in Latvia.
Latvia will understand someday what kind of very wrong action they took.
14 Spanish // Jun 1, 2007 at 12:20 pm
It is really incredible to hear that in an UE country there are such a thing as “political prisioners”.
We are preparing pacifical concentrations against it all around Europe next Saturday 2nd of June at the embassies of Latvia.
The time is 6pm GMT+1 (spanish and most European countries’ time), we all hope they will be at home real soon.
15 Eirini // Jun 1, 2007 at 2:16 pm
Hello to everyone.
i would also like to express my support to everyone and most of all to the Spanish people that are still in prison after 15 days.
to read the true story of what happened go to :
http://www.rigacase.com/
Gui, Miguel i Love you.
Hang on.
16 Tomi // Jun 1, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Greetz everybody,
I’m Tomi from Macedonia. I just can’t believe this story! I can uderstand that police can be harsh on drunk turists, scare them a bit, maybe hold them in jail for a night, but this is outrageous! They are in jail since May, 16th!
I really can’t understand this kind of behaviour from the police and other institutions in this country. Now, are we talking about Latvia, an EU member state, a democracy… or about N.Korea??
And Latvia wants to attract turists??
Again, incredible!
17 Branko Dobrasinovic // Jun 1, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Freedom for our friends!
Some of my Portugese friends were unfortunately mentioned here, and I couldn’t believe it’s true, cause I know them as people with BIG heart, very very friendly and honestly good persons.
I hope they will persist all the stress and be released as soon as possible.
BIG support from SERBIA!
And let me quote Isil:
“For the ones who know these 7 young men, it is already so obvious that they are not any criminals! “
18 Mits // Jun 1, 2007 at 10:18 pm
Hi, i’m Dimitris from Greece!
But when somebody cross the line then the law is coming.. 
I’ve been in Riga twice, it’s a great city with great people
Stealing flags from streets isn’t a game, stealing a glass from Lido is a game!
Hope everything will end positive for these guys..
Greets to all!
19 Fausto Fonseca // Jun 1, 2007 at 10:47 pm
I think they were very stupid to do such a thing, for 2 reasons. First because it’s stupid to be that disrespectfull with other culture symbols, and stupid because they don’t really know much about other countries’ laws.
Nonetheless the punishment seems to be too harsh. But we have to respect the other countries laws and they were the ones who went there and made that mistake. I think we can only argue or find out if their laws are beeing bent or not just to make them an example. And i’ve heard that they were being kept in very bad conditions and that is inadmissible. But if the punishment in their laws is 6 years of jail for such a crime, we can only ask for mercyfullness and not judge the Latvian. Think about the Latvians that can be in jail for such a crime and then we come and can do the same thing and get away with it just because we’re from another country.
20 mbr // Jun 3, 2007 at 11:43 pm
The report of the Baltic Times is misleading. I ask everyone to please check the following link, as everything is better explained there:
http://www.rigacase.com/
21 KuMuLo // Jun 4, 2007 at 6:22 pm
what do they do in latvia to those who steal?? Choop off hands??? So ridiculous…how can this be an EU country… I actually know one of the detainees..a great person, nowhere close to a criminal
22 Guest // Jun 7, 2007 at 12:17 pm
@KuMuLo: as i’ve said elsewhere: there are similar laws in many European countries. According to Portuguese law you can be sentenced to a similiar jail time if you disrespect the Portuguese flag. Nevertheless, so far they have not been punished. They are awaiting trial. If you are a foreigner and commit a crime that is punishable with a sentence that is high enough the chances that you have to wait for your trial are very high in all countries.
Comitting a criminal offense has nothing to do with being a criminal. It just says that you violated some law. And not knowing a law is not an excuse, because otherwise everybody would claim that he didn’t know the law.
23 GuyFromRiga // Nov 21, 2007 at 10:22 am
As of November 20, 2007, the agreement has been reached between defendant and the prosecutor, that suspended sentence of 6 month will be applied to 4 of the accused fellows (they are in their homelands already for a while by now, so this is more or less formality). Fine of around 3.5 thousand EUR will have to be paid. Charges were dropped against the other 3 guys who were found not guilty. So this is the end of the story.
As much as I have read in the news, the prosecution has been rather forgiving and has silently turned a blind eye to the fact that the guys were reported to actually have treaded on the flags, which might seriously worsen their situation.
Personally I feel sorry for the fellows, who obviously did not mean to do any serious harm - just drunk men having fun. The guys definitely seem to be decent people. So, the sentence might seem to be rather harsh.
On other side, please remember, that Latvia has regained its independence only in 1991, so everything political is still very important (boiling hot) in the society, and newly regained country, freedom and national pride, which is symbolized by the flag, is extremely important to Latvian citizens. Not as much, possibly, as it is in “Old Europe” where such things are part of old, bygone history and are taken for granted (which is a pity, because they are not for granted, you know…).
People here as much as less than 20 years ago might be imprisoned by Communist authorities for just displaying such a flag, not mentioning hundreds and thousands who paid by their liberty and even life for just hiding at home this kind of the independent Latvian Republic during the years after the WWII, when Soviet rule was imposed here. Therefore damaging the national flag is a very, very grave personal insult to every Latvian. It emotionally could be compared possibly only to a spit in a face.
So, basically I am sorry that these obviously nice fellows let themselves to behave a bit too loosely after the few drinks they had . Hence the consequences. But it is over now, and everyone is home .
24 John // Dec 6, 2007 at 1:58 am
Guy from Riga: Sorry it took me a while to reply. I’ve been working too hard on other things but am trying to catch up and get the blog back on track.
Thanks for the update on the situation, as I hadn’t heard much about it for a while. It’s good to know that the courts did not impose a harsher sentence, as it sounds like the young men learnt their lesson during their brief spell in prison.
I can certainly see your point about the high emotions surrounding the flag given the historical context. My understanding is that the ‘treading on’ the flag was unsubstantiated, which may be why the prosecution did not draw attention to it, but I have not been able to follow the trial from the UK.
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