Latvia has banned the import and distribution of books from Russia and Belarus, classifying them as "war propaganda". The measure was approved by the Latvian Parliament and aims to restrict the dissemination of content that it considers favorable to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Baltic country, which is a member of NATO and the European Union, justifies this decision in the context of the conflict in Ukraine and geopolitical tensions with Russia. Latvian authorities point out that literature from these two countries has been used to promote narratives favorable to the Kremlin.
Latvia has a large Russian-speaking minority, with about a quarter of the population belonging to Russian ethnicity. This measure may affect a significant part of the population that traditionally consumes cultural content in the Russian language.
Human rights organizations have been closely monitoring these restrictions, warning of the need to balance national security with freedom of expression and access to culture.
