According to a video posted on social media, the young people had traveled to Belarus to attend a festival. Marijuana was allegedly found in their car and all four were detained.
Although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs initially said on the microblogging site "X" that it had received no information about the young people detained in Belarus from Latvia, it later told LETA it had been contacted by their relatives.
Given Belarus' involvement in the full-scale Russian hostilities against Ukraine, the increased activity of Russian and Belarusian armed forces on Belarusian territory, the significant security risks, and the currently unpredictable development of the security situation, the MFA continues to strongly advise against travel to Belarus.
Travelers may be subject to provocation by the Belarusian services and falsely accused of violating Belarusian law and arrested as a result. Due to the lack of rule of law in Belarus, Latvia's ability to provide assistance to such persons is very limited.
The Ministry also reiterates its call on Latvian nationals not to travel to Russia in view of the tense international security situation and the unpredictable domestic political developments in Russia. The possibilities to provide consular assistance in Russia and Belarus are limited.
