On Thursday, on the morning of Lāčplēsis Day, a short message appeared on the website of the Constitution Protection Bureau (CPB): “NEWS: On the night of November 11, the Director of the Constitution Protection Bureau Jānis Maizītis passed away.
On Monday, the defense of Aivars Lembergs asked the process facilitator in the Lembergs criminal case - the Riga Regional Court - to check on the application of detention, as well as to replace the detention with house arrest due to the rapid deterioration of A. Lembergs' health.
The Minister of Justice, who is constantly trying to influence the judiciary and force the officials of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to defend questionable and anti-democratic bills in the Saeima, should have been suspended a long time ago - said Viktors Valainis (ZZS), Member of the Saeima and Executive Director of the Latvian Association of Large Cities, speaking about the constant efforts of the MoJ led by Jānis Bordāns to achieve the adoption of another “anti-Lembergs law”.
The proposal of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) headed by Jānis Bordāns to include in the Local Government Law norms mocking the presumption of innocence, which would prevent electing a deputy who has been given a security measure in criminal proceedings as a local government chairman, earned sharp criticism in the Saeima committee and was rejected.
Aivars Lembergs' application regarding the term of appeal that was accepted for consideration by the Constitutional Court (CC) lists, among other things, the inconsistencies, negligence and pure nonsense shown in the Riga Regional Court judgment of Lembergs criminal case.
Former Chairman of the Criminal Chamber of the Riga Regional Court, now Prosecutor General Dr. iur. Juris Stukāns in an interview with Neatkarīgā explains the principles of judicial independence and shares his memories of the votes in the Judicial Council in connection with the selection of a successor to the Criminal Chamber of the Riga Regional Court, as well as his relations with the US Embassy and the foreign-funded organization Delna.
Former Chairman of the Criminal Chamber of the Riga Regional Court, now Prosecutor General Dr. iur. Juris Stukāns talks about the seized property in the Lembergs criminal case in an interview with Neatkarīgā.
Former Chairman of the Criminal Chamber of the Riga Regional Court, now Prosecutor General Dr. iur. Juris Stukāns in an interview with Neatkarīgā said that the materials of controversial and loud criminal cases must be published in full so that the people can assess who was right - the accused, prosecutors or the court. He also revealed his vision of the seized property issue of the Lembergs case, shared his memories of the vote in the Judicial Council in connection with the selection of a successor to the Criminal Chamber of the Riga Regional Court and explained his relationship with the US Embassy and the foreign-funded organization Delna.
Mārcis Bendiks, a well-known observer of political processes, public relations specialist, “sorosologist” and photographer, analyzes the events in politics and society in an interview with Neatkarīgā.
The Criminal Cases Chamber of the Riga Regional Court has respected the many objections of the participants in the Lembergs criminal case against the decision of Judge Sandra Amola to hear the case in the appellate instance in written proceedings.
KNAB's activities show that if politicians from the ZZS appoint positions - it is a crime, but if the representatives of the ruling coalition do that - then those are political discussions, explained the observer of political processes, public relations specialist and photographer Mārcis Bendiks, analyzing the so-called Dobele precedent.
The Constitutional Court has initiated already the third case following an application from Aivars Lembergs. The application asks to assess the compliance of the norm of the Criminal Procedure Law regarding the period of time for submission of an appeal with the right to a fair court guaranteed in the first sentence of Article 92 of the Constitution.
Only the legislator - the Saeima - can be complained to about the prohibition to follow the trial of Aivars Lembergs in the appellate instance - Pāvels Gruziņš, former Chairman of the Criminal Cases Department of the Supreme Court and Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court with 32 years of experience as a judge, explained to Neatkarīgā, analyzing the decision of Judge Sandra Amola regarding the trial of the Lembergs criminal case taking place in a written manner.
Tā dēvētajā Lemberga lietā apsūdzētie ir lūguši – kā tas paredzēts Kriminālprocesa likumā – apelācijas instancē pārbaudīt pierādījumus un nopratināt vairākus lieciniekus, kurus pirmās instances tiesa atteicās aicināt uz pratināšanām.
The defendants in the Lembergs case have requested on appeal, as required by the Criminal Procedure Law, to examine the evidence and to question a number of witnesses who the court of the first instance refused to call for questioning.
Lembergs' criminal case appellate judge Sandra Amola has notified the Latvian Television news program "Panorāma" of the decision to adjudicate this criminal case by December 21 of the following year in a written manner.
Pagājušajā nedēļā pēkšņi parādījās asa plaisa iepriekš visai gludajās attiecībās starp Valsts prezidentu Egilu Levitu un pašreizējo valdošo koalīciju – līdz LTV žurnālistiem noplūda informācija par E. Levita zvaniem Saeimas deputātēm Vitai Andai Tēraudai un Inesei Voikai no frakcijas “Attīstībai/Par” (A/P).
The desire of MP Artuss Kaimiņš, the leader of the New Conservative Party (Jaunā konservatīvā partija, JKP) and a receiver of the "Meroni's grant", to tear down Aivars Lembergs by pushing for amendments to the Saeima Rules of Procedure that would prevent him from visiting the Saeima, contradicts the basic principles of legislation, Aleksandrs Kuzņecovs, a doctoral student at the Department of Constitutional Law, University of Latvia, explained to Neatkarīgā.
The Saeima calls for termination of the proceedings initiated in the Constitutional Court upon the application of Aivars Lembergs “On the Compliance of Section 32, Paragraphs Four and Eight of the Law on the Election of Local Government Councils with Section 101 of the Constitution”.
Based on the application of Aivars Lembergs, the Constitutional Court has initiated a case regarding the Law On the Procedures for Holding under Arrest and Cabinet Regulation No. 800 “Regulations of the Internal Procedure of the Remand Prison” compliance with the Constitution. The contested norms prohibit a detainee from using a computer with an Internet connection for work.
Following the application of Aivars Lembergs, the case “On the Compliance of Section 32, Paragraphs Four and Eight of the Law on the Election of Local Government Councils with Article 101 of the Constitution” has been initiated in the Constitutional Court.
The Riga Regional Court has decided to appoint Sandra Amola as the appellate judge in the Lembergs criminal case. S. Amola will be the presiding judge, but the Court of Appeal will evaluate the case with three judges.