His is the second conviction of someone on genocide charges since Latvia regained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. In the years after the Soviet occupation in 1940, tens of thousands of people across the Baltic states were shipped in cattle trains to Siberia. All three Baltic states have actively sought prosecutions of those who participated in Stalinist crimes. Hundreds of cases are under investigation and there have been a dozen convictions. Judges have mostly handed down suspended sentences.
Baltic officials say the trials are primarily meant to shed light on the dark Stalinist era.
They deny the motivation is revenge. Over 80 percent of software used in the Baltic states is illegally copied and further steps should be taken to tackle the problem, software companies said recently. Copyright laws meant to curb software piracy exist, but enforcement is scant, according to the Business Software Alliance . Failure to enforce copyright laws could undermine Baltic bids for European Union membership. EU representatives said rates of piracy have to come down, but added that Baltic governments understand the severity of the problem and are trying to address it.