Latvia's Supreme Court sends Yelena Kreile case for retrial

Latvia's Supreme Court Senate overturned the Riga Regional Court's decision in Yelena Kreile's case and ordered a new hearing. The decision following a defence appeal was reported on October 8.

Riga City Court sentenced Kreile to three years in prison in July 2024. The case concerned Russian symbols displayed in her home's window. RIA Novosti described it as a case involving a Russian flag, while Latvian outlet Rīga TV described the charge as glorification of crimes by Russia and the USSR.

Riga Regional Court upheld the sentence on March 13, 2025. Her lawyer then appealed to the Senate's Criminal Cases Department. The higher court found that the appeal ruling should be set aside.

At the new hearing, the court must carefully examine Kreile's alternative explanation of her actions. She had said she was calling for peace and friendship between peoples. Ordering a new hearing is not an acquittal: the evidence must be assessed again.