MOSCOW, November 24. /TASS/. A former Latvian legislator and public activist has asked for political asylum in Russia.

Riga City Council member Ruslan Pankratov, who earlier fled Latvia to Russia to escape criminal persecution, has shared with TASS the reasons behind his decision.

"After escaping from Latvia to Russia, I’ve undergone the established clearance procedures and checks by Russian special services. Upon completing the formalities, I filed a request for political asylum. Now I am waiting for a decision. I hope it will be in my favor," Pankratov said. "I was charged with anti-government activities. Latvian Interior Ministry officers took away and destroyed my passport and other identity documents, leaving me with no chances to get a job to earn a living. I decided to move to Russia illegally," he said.

Pankratov was eventually detained by Russian border guards.

In Latvia, he repeatedly came out in support of the Russian-speaking community and protested the discriminatory treatment of the Russian language.

The Latvian authorities charged him with inciting ethnic hatred, circumventing EU sanctions, committing crimes against humanity and justifying genocide. He was arrested in August 2022 to be released on bail five months later.