Pro-Russian Latvian activist who moved to Moscow tricked into signing war contract from jail, relatives say

A 59-year-old Latvian activist who moved to Russia in 2024 was tricked into signing a contract to fight in Ukraine while in pretrial detention on fraud charges, his relatives say.

His whereabouts and condition have been unknown for six days, according to the Telegram channel Ostorozhno, Novosti.

Sergey Mulivanov was an activist for the Russian Union of Latvia, a small political party that advocates for the country’s Russian-speaking minority. He signed the contract with the Russian Defence Ministry while in custody. He and his lawyer had filed a written refusal to take part in the war, and he was due to be questioned on 30 October about the reasons for his refusal, but was reportedly told by an investigator that it was “too late”. He managed to call his relatives from a bus bound for Rostov-on-Don.

Relatives say Mulivanov has type 2 diabetes and polyneuropathy. His eyesight has worsened in detention, he has developed cerebrovascular problems, and he has necrosis in his leg. His lawyers say he never underwent a military medical board, and their requests for a medical examination have gone unanswered.

Mulivanov moved to Russia in 2024, settled in the Moscow region and obtained Russian citizenship. Acquaintances say he left Latvia because he disagreed with the government’s policies. He criticised restrictions on the use of Russian language, Latvia’s support for Ukraine, and the country’s alignment with the West. He frequently gave comments to Russian state media, describing Latvia’s economy as being in dire straits and likening its leaders to “fascists” over the language policies.

According to Ostorozhno, Novosti, Mulivanov took a courier job he found on a job-listing site. The ad was later found to have been posted by scammers, making him a money mule who unknowingly transported stolen funds. He was arrested in April on suspicion of fraud and has not admitted guilt. The criminal case against him was suspended after he signed the contract.