On November 9, 2023, Janis Adamsons, a former interior minister and ex-lawmaker from the opposition Social Democratic Saskana (Harmony) party in Latvia, was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison by the Riga City Court. Adamsons, 66, was found guilty of espionage for Russia.

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His co-defendant, Gennady Silonov, a former Soviet KGB officer and Russian national, received a seven-and-a-half-year prison term for the same charge as Adamsons. Adamsons was convicted of sharing military finance details and eastern border data with Silonov, who relayed it to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). Additionally, Adamsons faced charges for unlawful firearm possession.

After Latvia regained its independence in 1991, Adamsons served as the commander of Latvia’s Border Guard service and as interior minister in 1994-95. He was also a member of the parliamentary commission for defense, interior affairs, and prevention of corruption.

Meanwhile, Silonov worked as a KGB officer in the 1980s and gathered information from Adamsons in around 40 meetings over four years. Silonov was a career officer within the Soviet intelligence agency until 1991 when Latvia declared its independence and outlawed the KGB.