On Thursday, 29 September, the Saeima supported in the second and final reading urgent amendments to the Law on the Handling of Weapons.

The Law stipulates that the gun permits issued to non-citizens of Latvia, as well as to persons who hold a permanent residence permit but are not citizens of a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation or European Free Trade Association member state, or citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Federative Republic of Brazil, New Zealand or Ukraine, will be revoked from 1 September 2023. Restrictions shall also apply to the collection of firearms permits.

The amendments also prohibit the issuance of a firearm or high energy pneumatic weapon purchase, possession, carrying, or collection permit to individuals known to the State Police or state security authorities as being disloyal to Latvia and its Constitution.

As previously stated in the explanatory note of the Draft Law, the Law was developed to promote state security, since the assessment of state security authorities revealed a potential risk of the respective individuals in possession of firearms causing threats to state and public security in Latvia.

Saeima Press Service