In her statement, Minister Braže cited Part 3 of Article 104 of Latvia’s Immigration Law as the legal basis for the action. “In accordance with Part 3 of Article 104 of the Immigration Law, I have added citizens of the Russian Federation Ksenia Sobchak and Konstantin Bogomolov to the list of persons undesirable for Latvia, and indefinitely banned their entry into Latvia,” Braže wrote. The ministry’s announcement was reported by the Latvian news outlet Delfi.lv, confirming that the corresponding decision rests with the Minister of Foreign Affairs under the specified legal provisions.
Ksenia Sobchak is a prominent Russian journalist and public figure. Her husband, Konstantin Bogomolov, is a director known for his productions in Moscow theaters. The couple married in 2019. Both are identified in the official decision as citizens of the Russian Federation. The ban classifies them as “persons undesirable for Latvia,” a status that prevents them from crossing the border into the Baltic state for an undetermined period.
Latvia’s Immigration Law grants the Minister of Foreign Affairs the authority to restrict the entry of foreign citizens deemed undesirable for the country. This mechanism allows for specific individual bans without the need for a legislative vote by the parliament. The decision is immediate and administrative in nature. No further legal steps, hearings, or appeals processes were detailed in the initial announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ban stands as an official executive decision effective from the date of the announcement.
