"On 3 December, the Latvian state security service detained, questioned, searched the homes of journalists working with Russian outlets Baltnews and Sputnik Latvia, expropriated their equipment and accused them of criminal offenses. Six Latvian journalists were detained, questioned and released on condition that they would not leave the country or disclose details of the case, one of them former editor-in-chief of Baltnews Latvia, Andrey Yakovlev", Sputnik Latvia said.
Several Russian-speaking Latvian journalists who work with Sputnik and Baltnews, among other outlets, have been accused of breaking the EU sanctions. Their homes have been searched. Sputnik Latvia and Baltnews are linked to the international information agency Rossiya Segodnya. The Latvian journalists who submit materials to these outlets are stringers rather than on staff.
In late 2019 Sputnik Estonia was pressured by the country's authorities into shutting down its operations in the country. The authorities cited EU sanctions imposed on Dmitry Kiselev, the head of the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, which includes Sputnik Estonia. However, the outlet itself has not appeared on any sanctions lists.
