Criminal case against Raubiško halts NGO 'Gribu palīdzēt bēgļiem' project

The Latvian Ministry of Culture has decided to temporarily suspend a project implemented by the NGO 'Gribu palīdzēt bēgļiem' under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. The project, titled 'Cultural Diversity Festival as a Catalyst for Co-Creation and Integration', was halted based on an opinion from the Ministry of the Interior, following a criminal case in which the NGO's board member Ieva Raubiško is accused of supporting the illegal crossing of the Latvian state border.

The suspension will remain in effect until a final court ruling in the criminal case comes into force. During this period, the funding recipient is not allowed to start project activities, undertake obligations, or submit related expenses. After the court's final decision, the Ministry of Culture will reassess the situation and decide whether to continue the project or terminate the contract. The total project budget is EUR 99,954; however, implementation has not yet begun, and no payments have been made.

As previously reported, the Latgale Regional Court will re-examine Raubiško's case on November 25. The first-instance court sentenced her to 200 hours of community service for aiding illegal border crossings, rather than organizing them as initially charged. The court noted that Raubiško was motivated by humanitarian concerns, not greed. In January 2023, she and fellow NGO member Egils Grasmanis went to the border to ensure compliance with a European Court of Human Rights interim measure regarding Syrian asylum seekers. The prosecution argues that Raubiško submitted deliberately false information to the ECHR, instructing the individuals to illegally cross the border.