No early release for Latvian rioter

Take note – story published 5 years ago

A Rīga court has turned down an early release request for Ansis Ataols-Bērziņš, convicted for involvement the 2009 riots in Riga Old Town and recently extradited to Latvia from the Czech Republic where he had been fleeing the sentence, reports LTV June 16.

Bērziņš was initially given a suspended sentence of 20 months, which turned into a real one after he failed to comply with probation rules.

He is to be imprisoned until November 30, and the two months he spent in a Czech prison have been included in the time being served.

The request for early release on probation was turned down after Inga Stupele, a probation official at the Latvian Prison Administration, told the court she doesn't support early release as Bērziņš is not repentant. 

During his imprisonment in Latvia, a phone was found among his stuff, a violation of prison rules. 

"You can kill me, but I will never admit that I've carried out a serious crime. Because it's not even a crime. It's tiny misdemeanor," Bērziņš said.

His lawyer Jānis Mucenieks said the ruling will be appealed as soon as it's published. 

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