Protection of constitutional order

Protection of the constitutional order is one of the main tasks of Latvian State Security Service (VDD). It is secured by applying a set of measures aimed at preventing the attempts to illegally change the fundamental principles stipulated by the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia such as independence, sovereignty, democracy and territorial integrity.

The activities against the constitutional order are conducted by the extremist oriented organisations, groups as well as individuals. These organisations, groups or individuals strive to apply both conventional and un-conventional methods (e.g.violent) to challenge the constitutional order, for example, force the changes of democracy, secession of some regions from the Republic of Latvia or accession of the Republic of Latvia to other country. Such organisations, groups of persons or individuals can act on their own initiative, as well as be tasked by other countries or extremist organisations.

The criteria for actions assessed as turning against democracy are direct calls or concrete activities, for example, armed riots aimed at changing the democracy for the authoritarian or totalitarian regime and the illegal change of democratically elected power, etc. Dismantling territorial integrity include calls or concrete illegal activities for the secession of some regions from the Republic of Latvia. Whereas actions aimed at the dismantling of national independence include calls or concrete activities to attain the accession of the Republic of Latvia to other country.

Direct calls to change the political system, to attain the accession of some regions or the succession of the Republic of Latvia to other country as well as concrete activities to implement the intentions cause prompt and direct threat to the national security and such activities are punishable under the Criminal Law. In parallel, long-term risks to the national security are also caused by the activities that are not directly conducted against the constitutional order, however, with the aim to step by step and systematically destroy the trust of Latvian citizens to the principles of democracy, state territorial integrity, the legitimacy and necessity of statehood as well as the strategic foreign and security policy course chosen by the Republic of Latvia.

In order to secure the protection of the constitutional order, VDD  conducts counterintelligence and operational activities in order to obtain pre-emptive information about the activities drawn against constitutional order of the Republic of Latvia and prevent them. If there are reasonable grounds to think that a person has committed an offence, the tools under the Criminal Law are implemented. However, other legal tools stipulated by law are implemented in situations when activities threaten constitutional order, however do not impose criminal liability, or there is a lack of evidence for initiating criminal prosecution.

VDD  closely cooperates with other Latvian security and intelligence services (SAB and MIDD) and foreign partner services in the field of protection of constitutional order. Additionally, VDD regularly informs national senior officials, national and municipality institutions involved in the decision making process and taking of measures for the elimination of the established risks.