Putniņš: Prolonged Zolitūde case points to problems in justice system

Court proceedings over the Zolitūde tragedy in Latvia have still not concluded more than a decade after the disaster, which indicates a disorganised court system. That was the view of Renārs Putniņš, a member of the 15th Saeima (Latvia's parliament) elected for the AS party list, speaking on the TV24 programme “Preses klubs”. Putniņš also works as a neurosurgeon at Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital and Jelgava Polyclinic, and sits on the board of the National Rehabilitation Centre “Vaivari”. He said lengthy trials raise questions about whether the system can handle complex cases in good time.

The deputy's assessment

Putniņš acknowledged that the events were exceptionally grave and that people who lived through them still remember them. He called the situation rather sad and stressed that the protracted trial is not an isolated case but an example of a broader problem.

According to him, other well-known cases in society also take many years to resolve. He mentioned proceedings that may be even longer, running for 14 years. In his view, this shows a need to pay more attention to how the courts operate and to the obstacles that prevent cases from being heard promptly.

What the Zolitūde tragedy was

The Zolitūde tragedy occurred on 21 November 2013 in Riga, when the roof of a “Maxima” supermarket collapsed. It is one of the worst disasters in Latvia's recent history. The catastrophe killed 54 people, including three rescuers, and several dozen more were injured.

The event provoked widespread public outrage and questions about construction quality, the responsibility of those at fault, and the ability of Latvia's justice system to investigate and try complex cases.