"De facto": Candidates with criminal cases on lists of at least nine parties

Latvian Television's investigative program "De facto" reports that most of the party lists registered for the upcoming Saeima election contain candidates who are or have been subject to criminal proceedings. According to the program's findings, this applies to nine out of the total 14 lists submitted for the election — nearly two-thirds of all participating parties or alliances.

Multiple candidates on some lists

"De facto" notes that in some lists, more than one candidate has such a background — several parties reportedly have multiple people running for a Saeima seat who are connected to ongoing or past criminal cases. The program compiled this information by reviewing the composition of the registered lists and cross-referencing it with available information on criminal cases opened or charges filed against specific individuals.

Context

Under Latvian law, having an open criminal case or facing charges does not by itself bar a person from running in Saeima elections. Restrictions generally apply to individuals with a final conviction for serious or especially serious crimes, or those convicted of intentional criminal offenses whose sentence has not been expunged. This means candidates with unresolved criminal proceedings can legally take part in elections, though such information may still be relevant to the public when assessing the trustworthiness of particular parties and candidates.

The findings publicized by "De facto" raise questions about how carefully parties vet their candidate lists before submission, and could spark discussion about tightening candidate-selection rules in the future.