Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīzes office robbed

The burglary of daily newspaper Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīzes' office is being widely-covered in the Latvian media, as it may involve press intimidation.

The burglary of daily newspaper Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīzes' office is being widely-covered in the Latvian media, as it may involve press intimidation.

RIGA — The Riga office of the daily newspaper Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīzes, Latvia’s second-highest by circulation, was burglarized over the weekend in what may be an act of intimidation.

Sometime late Friday evening or early Saturday morning the newspaper’s ground-level glass door was smashed and the office was pillaged. Drawers were ripped out and documents spread all over the floor. Three computer monitors were stolen, as were the contents of a safe.

While the outside of the building, located on Cēsu Street in Riga’s downtown, features security cameras, the interior office does not.

Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīzes Editor Anita Daukste said in a statement to the press that given the planned nature of the burglary and what was stolen, intimidation could be a motivation.

However, she said the newspaper’s management did not have any suspects.

Police are consider the case a burglary and are continuing to investigate. No suspects have been named or arrests made.

The daily newspaper is owned by Mediju Nams, a subsidiary of Lasco Investment, a Latvian shipping company. It’s editorial line is conservative.

The incident will not disrupt publication of the newspaper, and management is considering improving the office’s security.

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