Latvia Regresses to the Good Ol’ Soviet Days, Cracks Down on Free Speech - By

eXiled Alert! We're launching a new project to identify and expose corrupt shills and corporate trolls among political journalists and bloggers in the US. Support us, and help strike fear into the hearts of corporate trolls. Contribute using PayPal or WePay…

What You Should Know / December 18, 2008

Latvia Regresses to the Good Ol’ Soviet Days, Cracks Down on Free Speech

www.javno.com -- The detention of an academic and a criminal case against a singer accused of spreading rumours about economic stability in crisis-hit Latvia have sparked a debate about freedom of speech in the ex-Soviet state. The incidents come at a time of growing economic problems for Latvia, a European Union and NATO member since 2004. The country has hit recession, turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for aid and nationalised its second-largest bank.