RIGA, Jan 27 (LETA) - Riga District Court on Tuesday sentenced pro-Kremlin activist Aleksandrs Gaponenko to ten years in prison and three years probation supervision for aiding a foreign country in its actions against the state of Latvia and inciting ethnic hatred.

The prosecutor's office told LETA that the prosecutor was satisfied with the court's verdict and that she considered it well-founded and lawful. During closing arguments, the prosecutor had asked for the exact same sentence for the defendant.

Gaponenko may appeal Riga District Court's ruling to Riga Regional Court. Attorney Imma Jansone told LETA that she would do so after a full ruling is released. Gaponenko, who is still in custody, has pleaded not guilty.

As reported, Gaponenko was charged with aiding a foreign state in its anti-Latvian activities, as well as inciting national hatred.

In February 2025, Gaponenko participated in a public discussion organized by the Institute of CIS States in Moscow, titled "Ethnocide of Russian Compatriots in the Baltic States", and made a speech in which he expressed support for Russia's aggressive policy of supporting its diaspora and praised work of the Institute of CIS States.

According to the prosecutor's office, the defendant also made statements that were untrue with the aim of portraying Latvians as hostile to Russians living in Latvia. By such defamatory information about Latvia, the defendant promoted Russia's geopolitical interests, which were targeted against Latvia and the Baltic countries in general.

He also said that one of the solutions to stop the "ethnocide against Russians" could be a Russian invasion of the Baltics, including Latvia, for which not only preparations must be made, but also ideological preparedness must be ensured in time. By supporting the activities of Russia, the defendant helped carry out actions against the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security of Latvia.

Gaponenko spoke at the conference together with other residents of Latvia who have been charged in a separate criminal case: pro-Kremlin activists Romans Samuls, former Riga City Council member Ruslans Pankratovs, former European Parliament member Andrejs Mamikins, Sergejs Vasiljevs and others.

Gaponenko has been in custody at Riga Central Prison since February 14, 2025.

Gaponenko, born in 1954, has already been convicted of inciting national hatred and acting against Latvia and has been charged in another case.

In spring 2022, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal of the verdict of the Riga City Court, which found Gaponenko guilty of inciting national hatred and acting against Latvia, thus sentencing him to a suspended prison sentence.

In this case, Gaponenko was accused, for example, of disseminating false statements in Russian propaganda media on the internet between the end of 2017 and the spring of 2018 about the revival of fascism in Latvia, the persecution of the Russian-speaking population and the possible genocide of Latvian Russian-speakers by the Latvian army and NATO allies.

In an article prepared by himself, Gaponenko announced that US special forces soldiers were arriving in Latvia, posing as Russian insurgents, and would organize mass disturbances in order to provide grounds for action against the leaders of the Russian movement.

Gaponenko has been mentioned several times in the annual reports of the State Security Service.