Mamikins, a journalist and TV presenter before veering off into a career as a politician and Kremlin cheerleader is accused of glorifying and justifying the war crimes committed by the aggressor Russia in Ukraine, the prosecutor's office stated.
The warrant request has been sent to the International Cooperation Department of the State Police for inclusion in the information systems of international cooperation.
As previously reported by LSM Mamikins has fled to Russia, with the result that the criminal case against him is currently suspended. He remains active on social networks and over the weekend, posted photos of sunsets and claimed that he "managed to visit his beloved Latvia for a couple of days", though the truth of this claim has not been verified. Given his track record, it would not be surprising if it was baloney.
The criminal process against him was started by the State Security Service (VDD) on September 29, 2023, in accordance with Article 74.1 of the Criminal Law on the justification of genocide, crime against humanity, crime against peace and war crime, after evaluating Mamikin's statements in the broadcasts of several Russian television channels loyal to the Kremlin, as well as on social networking sites.
The most severe punishment provided for in the criminal law for such a crime is imprisonment for a period of up to five years.
Mamikins was born in 1976, obtained a master's degree in philology from the University of Latvia and worked in journalism for several years. In 2014, he ran for the European Parliament elections from the list of the "Saskaņa" (Harmony) party and was elected, but later switched his allegiance to the Latvian Russian Union party (LKS). In 2018, he ran for the Saeima elections from the list of the LKS, but was not elected.
A European Arrest Warrant (EAW) is issued by one EU country's judicial authority and is valid in the entire territory of the EU. The mechanism is based on the principle of mutual recognition and therefore operates via direct contacts between judicial authorities, greatly simplifying what are otherwise complex and time-consuming extradition proceedings. In 2022 the judicial authorities of the 27 Member States issued a total of 13,335 EAWs.
