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Leonid Ragozin says Latvian authorities notified him on October 13 that he is being expelled and declared persona non grata. Latvia has not publicly identified him or specified the grounds in the information reported so far; his claims that the decision is political are his own.
Russian journalist Leonid Ragozin says Latvia notified him on October 13 that he would be expelled from the country, where he had lived for 12 years. The decision is significant because it removes a journalist who has reported and commented on Russia and Ukraine, while the Latvian government has not publicly named him or detailed the grounds for the measure in the reports available.
Ragozin announced the notification on social media. “I can now confirm that yesterday I was notified of my expulsion from Latvia where I lived for 12 years,” he wrote. He said the notice did not identify “any specific misdemeanors or statements” behind the decision. According to Ragozin, the authorities declared him persona non grata.
Ragozin described the decision as political persecution. He alleged it reflected “long-brewing revenge” by far-right politicians over his investigation into their ties to Russian neo-Nazis who had taken refuge in Kyiv. He also said he believed the decision was punishment for his commentary on Russia’s war against Ukraine and for his investigation into the killing of journalist Pavel Sheremet. These are Ragozin’s explanations; the source material does not independently establish the government’s motive.
Latvian media reported in early October that the Foreign Ministry had started proceedings to declare “another Russian citizen” persona non grata. Foreign Minister Baiba Braže said the decision was based on information from competent authorities and followed consultations with the interior minister and prime minister. Officials did not publicly identify the person at the time. The Latvian outlet Delfi reported that the person was Ragozin.
A Journalist Faces Removal From Latvia
The case brings together Latvia’s national-security decisions and the treatment of a Russian journalist who has publicly covered Russia, Ukraine and political groups. Expulsion would require Ragozin to leave the country where he says he has lived since 2014, and may affect where he can live and work. The available reporting does not say when he must depart, whether he can challenge the decision, or whether he has another residence available.
The public account also leaves a gap between the government’s stated process and Ragozin’s account of the notice. Braže said the decision drew on information from competent authorities, but the details have not been disclosed in the cited reports. Ragozin says the notice named no specific conduct. Without further official explanation, readers cannot independently assess the legal basis or weigh the stated security rationale against his allegation of political retaliation.
The distinction matters: the government has confirmed a process involving an unnamed Russian citizen, according to Latvian media reports, while Ragozin has identified himself as the person notified and supplied his own account of why. His allegation is not an official finding, and no evidence supporting or disproving his claims is included in the available material.
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Ragozin’s Work and Move to Latvia
Ragozin’s career includes work at several international and Russian-language outlets. The source report says he worked as a correspondent and producer for BBC Russia from 1998 to 2013, served as an editor at Russian Newsweek and collaborated with Lonely Planet. It also lists more recent work with Al Jazeera, Jacobin and The American Conservative.
He moved to Latvia after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, according to the report. Latvian media’s early-October accounts of a pending persona non grata decision preceded his own public confirmation. The original report identifies him as the person Delfi had named, though the Latvian government had not officially disclosed his identity in the cited statements.
Ragozin’s account connects the expulsion to his reporting and commentary, including an investigation concerning Russian neo-Nazis in Kyiv and work on the Sheremet case. The source material provides no further details about those investigations or about any official assessment of them, so they cannot by themselves establish the government’s reason for acting.
““I can now confirm that yesterday I was notified of my expulsion from Latvia where I lived for 12 years.””
— Leonid Ragozin, in a social-media post
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Grounds and Appeal Rights Remain Unknown
The cited reporting does not include the expulsion notice or an official Latvian statement naming Ragozin and explaining the specific grounds for his removal. It is also unclear whether the decision has taken full legal effect, the date by which he must leave, or whether he can appeal or seek a review. The source material does not say whether Ragozin has begun any legal challenge.
The government’s security-related rationale was described only in broad terms by Braže, while Ragozin has alleged political retaliation. There is no independent evidence in the source material that resolves the dispute over motive. Further information from Latvian authorities or from Ragozin could clarify the legal basis, process and timetable.
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Official Details and Departure Timeline
The next developments to watch are whether Latvia publicly confirms Ragozin’s identity and provides more information about the grounds for its decision, and whether Ragozin shares the notice or announces a legal challenge. Any departure deadline or court process would help establish the immediate consequences for him. Until those details are available, the reported notification and Ragozin’s account remain the clearest public information about his case.
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Key Questions
What did Latvia notify Leonid Ragozin?
Ragozin says Latvian authorities notified him on October 13 that he was being expelled and had been declared persona non grata.
Why does Ragozin say Latvia is expelling him?
He alleges political retaliation tied to his reporting on far-right politicians and Russian neo-Nazis in Kyiv, his commentary on Russia’s war against Ukraine, and his investigation into Pavel Sheremet’s killing. His account of the motive has not been independently verified in the source material.
What reason have Latvian officials given?
Foreign Minister Baiba Braže said the decision was based on information from competent authorities after consultations with the interior minister and prime minister. The reported public statements did not identify Ragozin or provide specific grounds.
How long has Ragozin lived in Latvia?
Ragozin said he had lived in Latvia for 12 years. The report says he moved there after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
When must Ragozin leave, and can he appeal?
The available reporting does not specify a departure deadline or whether he can appeal. It also does not say whether he has started a legal challenge.
Source: rss
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