The Baltic nation of Latvia is considering a measure that would strip citizenship from Russian oligarchs who hold dual citizenship, a move done in response to a billionaire claiming his Latvian citizenship protects his assets, Bloomberg reports.
The bill would strip Latvian citizenship if the person supports carrying out “war crimes, genocide and crimes against peace and against civilization,” according to the text of the proposal.
The move targets Russian billionaire Petr Aven, a Russian by birth who became a naturalized Latvian citizen in 2016 after meeting immigration requirements, including passing a language test which many claim he received help with. Aven claimed the right to citizenship via his grandfather, who lived in Latvia.
Although Aven has been recognized for his charitable works in Latvia, the country has taken a strong stance in favor of Ukraine since the Russian invasion. Like its fellow Baltic countries Lithuania and Estonia, Latvia is concerned that Putin’s aggression in Ukraine will lead him to try to retake control of the three former Soviet republics.
With an estimated net worth of $4.6 billion, Aven has condemned the invasion of Ukraine, but he has been sanctioned in the international effort to punish those people in Putin’s inner circle.