Latvia: Prisoner escapes on Sunday, detainee flees on Thursday

A man serving a sentence for attempted murder escaped from Latvia’s Riga Central Prison on 23 July 2023 but was caught within a few hours, LSM reports. Police launched an extensive search for the convict across the country, limiting the movement of persons and searching vehicles leaving Riga. Interior Minister Maris Kucinskis said that road checks were enforces in neighbouring Estonia and Lithuania as well. Dmitrijs Kalins, chief of the Latvian Prison Administration (IEVP), said that the prisoner’s escape was “spontaneous.” IEVP has launched a service inspection to assess the actions of prison officials. Meanwhile, a man detained for robbery escaped from a police vehicle in Riga on 27 July 2023. The man was caught the next day.