Soviet security institutions in occupied Latvija 1940-1991

“In the 20th century, Latvian society was hit by several waves of terror. Politically motivated violence began with the 1905 revolution and continued until the collapse of the USSR in 1991. In this way, social and political contradictions between different parts of society were resolved. The security services were involved in both the development and suppression of violence. The main task of these institutions was to ensure the stability of a particular regime by combating its opponents and preventing the formation of an organized opposition environment. ..The topic of this brochure is not the actions of Latvian officials after the occupation of the country. The main purpose is to provide an overview of the activities of Soviet security institutions in Latvia and its consequences. The authors recall that the repressive policy of the USSR stemmed from the ideological positions of the Communist Party, but the Soviet security service was part of a larger system that also included the Soviet militia, prosecutor’s office, courts, and prisons.”