Riigikogu candidate questioned by border guard after returning from Russia

Aivo Peterson.
Aivo Peterson. Source: Priit Mürk/ERR

Estonian United Left Party (EÜVP/Koos) Riigikogu candidate Aivo Peterson was questioned by Estonia's Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) after returning from Russia on Monday. He had also visited Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine.

PPA spokesperson Leana Loide told ERR at approximately 5:30 p.m. that Peterson had not been detained but was undergoing additional discussions with officials.

"It is true that the man arrived at the Narva border crossing today around 2:30 p.m. to enter Estonia, and additional border control operations are currently being carried out," she said.

Peterson visited Moscow before the election and made campaign videos from occupied eastern Ukraine.

The candidate received 3,969 votes in Sunday's election but did not win a big enough personal mandate to enter the Riiigikogu. The party only ran in Ida-Viru County, which has a large ethnic Russian population.

His party's manifesto promised to stop supporting Ukraine, abandon sanctions on Russia, protect traditional values and lower defense costs to under 1 percent of GDP.

Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets (SDE) told news portal Delfi that Peterson's actions were provocative and posed a security threat to Estonia.

Peterson said the Estonian media is giving a one-sided account of the war, Delfi wrote.

Once cleared by the PPA, he will likely be allowed to enter Estonia.

 

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Editor: Aleksander Krjukov, Helen Wright

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