Criminal defence in Latvia

Criminal proceedings begin unexpectedly — with a summons for questioning, a search, a frozen bank account — and the decisions taken in the first days shape the whole case. We defend people who are suspected or accused, and we represent victims. A large part of our work is economic ("white-collar") cases — tax, fraud, money laundering and sanctions — and the freezing, seizure and confiscation of assets, including Latvia's separate proceedings on criminally acquired property, where the case is decided by documents and money flows.

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Defence White-collar cases Frozen accounts & seizure Confiscation Victims

Defence from the first questioning

We attend questioning and other procedural actions, file complaints against decisions of the investigator or prosecutor, challenge security measures (detention, house arrest, travel bans, the obligation to surrender a passport) and defend you in court at every instance.

Typical situations: you have been summoned for questioning "as a witness", but the questions suggest you are the real target · your home or office has been searched · a relative has been detained · you have been asked to sign documents in Latvian that you do not understand.

What is different for a foreign clientYou have the right to an interpreter at every stage, free of charge, and to receive key documents in a language you understand. You have the right to remain silent and the right to a defence counsel from the first contact with the police. If you are not resident in Latvia, the court may impose a travel restriction; we work on ensuring that the measure is proportionate and that you can return home while the case continues. Your embassy has the right to be informed of a detention if you ask.

Economic and white-collar cases

Fraud, misappropriation, tax evasion, money laundering, bribery, illegal business activity, liability of board members and officials, cases arising from sanctions violations. In these cases the analysis of documents and money flows is decisive; where the case needs it, we work with tax and forensic accounting specialists.

Frozen bank accounts and seized assets

Challenging the seizure of property, recovering funds frozen by banks or by the Financial Intelligence Unit, responding to banks' anti-money-laundering (AML) inquiries, sanctions-related blocks on transactions, and representing owners whose property has been seized in someone else's case.

Typical situations: a Latvian bank has frozen your account and demands proof of the origin of funds · property that belongs to you, not the accused, has been seized · proceedings have been opened to have your assets declared criminally acquired · a transfer has been blocked on sanctions grounds.

What is different for a foreign clientLatvia applies AML and sanctions rules strictly, and foreign ownership or cross-border transfers alone often trigger inquiries. A well-documented, timely answer to the bank is usually the difference between a released account and a report to the Financial Intelligence Unit. Deadlines to challenge a seizure are short — days, not months.

Confiscation of assets and proceedings on criminally acquired property

Latvia confiscates assets in two ways. In the judgment, the court may order the confiscation of property that was obtained through the offence, used to commit it or — for certain offences — is presumed to be criminally acquired because its lawful origin cannot be shown (extended confiscation). Separately, the investigator or prosecutor may ask a court to declare money or property "criminally acquired" in separate proceedings that run ahead of, and independently from, the main case: no conviction is needed, the person concerned must show the lawful origin of the assets, and the decision can be taken within months while the criminal case itself continues for years.

We represent owners — suspects, accused persons and third parties such as companies, family members and business partners — in both: contesting the seizure, preparing the evidence of lawful origin (contracts, bank statements, tax returns, valuations, the history of the funds), appearing at the hearings, appealing the decision, and, where the assets have already been confiscated, pursuing their return.

Typical situations: the prosecutor has applied to have your funds declared criminally acquired although you are not accused of anything · money you lent to or invested in a Latvian company has been frozen in a case against its owner · a bank has kept your funds after closing the account and passed the matter to the Financial Intelligence Unit · the judgment against another person orders the confiscation of an asset registered in your name.

What is different for a foreign clientFunds that arrived from abroad, through several jurisdictions or from companies with nominee structures are the most frequent subject of these proceedings, and the burden of showing where the money came from in practice lies on the owner. Documents in a foreign language and the tax history of the funds in your home country become decisive evidence. Deadlines to challenge decisions in these proceedings are counted in days, and a hearing can be scheduled at short notice — we appear for you under a power of attorney.

Representation of victims

Preparing a criminal complaint, obtaining victim status, claiming compensation for damage within the criminal proceedings, representation in court, complaints against termination or delay of the investigation.

How the process works in Latvia

First contactIf you have received a summons or a procedural action has taken place — contact us before the next step. In the first conversation we establish your procedural status and your rights.
Pre-trial investigationWe attend procedural actions, review the case file when access is permitted, file motions and complaints, and challenge security measures and asset seizures. The investigation is led by the police or another investigating authority under the supervision of a prosecutor.
TrialWe prepare the defence position, evidence and witnesses and represent you in the first-instance court, on appeal and in the Supreme Court (Senate). The accused is generally expected to attend the trial in person; in some cases the court allows participation by video link.
After the judgmentAppeal, questions of enforcement of the sentence, expungement of the criminal record, and — for foreign nationals — the interaction between a conviction and residence or entry rights.

How long it takes

Pre-trial investigation in economic cases often takes a year or more; the trial — several more years. Detention without a judge's decision may not exceed 48 hours; the terms of detention and asset seizure are set by a court and can be challenged. Proceedings on frozen funds and seized property can sometimes be resolved faster than the main case.

What to prepare

every procedural document you have received (summons, decision on your status, records, decision on seizure) — in the original language, we will translate what matters;
if there has been a search — the record and the list of items seized;
letters and requests from banks;
contracts, invoices and documents relating to the transactions mentioned in the case;
contact details of people who can confirm your account of events.

Do not send case details by ordinary email before we have agreed on representation — see the note under the form.

Frequently asked questions

I have been summoned for questioning as a witness. Do I need an advocate?

A witness has the right to be accompanied by an advocate, and it is worth using it whenever the questions may concern your own actions. A witness can become a suspect during the proceedings, and statements made without an advocate remain in the file.

Do I have to talk to the police without an advocate?

You have the right not to incriminate yourself or your close relatives, and the right to a defence counsel from the start of the proceedings. Politely asking for time to contact an advocate is your right, not a sign of guilt.

I don't speak Latvian. What are my rights?

You are entitled to an interpreter free of charge at every stage, and to written translations of the key documents (the decision on your status, the indictment, the judgment). Do not sign anything you have not understood — ask for the interpreter and for your advocate.

What happens in the first 48 hours after a detention?

Within that time the investigator must decide whether to ask a judge to order pre-trial detention or another security measure. The advocate's presence before the investigating judge at this moment is one of the most important steps in the whole case.

A Latvian bank has frozen my account and asks for documents about the origin of the funds. What should I do?

Answer on the merits, but carefully — the bank's request is usually driven by AML rules, and an incomplete answer can lead to a report to the Financial Intelligence Unit and a longer freeze. We help prepare the answer and the documents and, if the funds are already frozen, work on their release.

Property that belongs to me has been seized in someone else's case. What can I do?

A third party has the right to challenge the seizure and to take part in the proceedings concerning the property. The deadlines are short, so act as soon as you receive the decision.

Can my assets be confiscated in Latvia if I have not been convicted of anything?

Yes. In the separate proceedings on criminally acquired property a court decides on the assets alone, before and independently of any judgment on guilt, and the owner has to show the lawful origin of the funds. The decision can be appealed. Preparing the evidence of origin early — contracts, bank statements, tax returns — is what these cases turn on.

Can I be prevented from leaving Latvia?

Yes — a prohibition to leave the country is one of the security measures a court can impose. It can be challenged and, when it is imposed, we work on conditions that let a non-resident return home while the case continues.

Can a case be settled with the prosecutor?

Latvian criminal procedure provides for a plea agreement on guilt and sentence and for other simplified forms of proceedings. Whether that is in your interest depends on the evidence and the possible sentence — a decision to be made together and without haste.

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