Riga Ethics Committee Declines to Review Councilor's 'Monkey' Remark Amid Police Probe Closure

The Riga City Council's Ethics Committee has opted not to investigate a controversial statement made by councilor Edvards Ratnieks, who used the term "monkeys" in a comment. The committee's decision means the matter will not be formally reviewed, despite internal disagreement.

Committee member Laine Paegļkalna expressed her dissent, stating that her personal opinion remained unchanged and that Ratnieks's remarks warranted evaluation. However, she acknowledged and respected the majority's decision to dismiss the issue.

This decision follows a separate development where state police announced the closure of a criminal investigation into alleged sexual harassment by a migrant in central Riga. During their investigation, law enforcement officials are now examining whether the public was misled in this case. Ratnieks's comment, which used the offensive term "monkeys," was made in the context of a widely shared video purportedly showing the migrant's alleged misconduct.

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Her opinion on this issue has not changed, and in her opinion, Ratnieks's statements should be evaluated, but the majority of the commission decided otherwise, and she respects it.