Background Information
Igora Kudrjavceva is the member of several committees and councils. Since July 1999, he had at different occasions published articles in newspapers or spoken on radio slandering Falun Gong. He took advantage of his various positions in the committees to distribute materials to attack Falun Gong attempting to defame Latvian Falun Gong practitioners. He had repeatedly declined meeting requests from practitioners.
Since Igora held a series of talks on radio slandering Falun Gong, Latvian practitioners went to talk to the chief editor of the radio station. The editor was reluctant to talk to us and made excuses that all the programs (of attacking Falun Gong) were the ideas of the Bureau of Religious Affairs.
In July 2001, Latvian practitioners were invited to a meeting of the expert committee of the Bureau of Religious Affairs and were warmly welcomed. All the experts except Igora expressed their support of Falun Gong. So practitioners went to talk to the Bureau of Religious Affairs and were suggested to provide a formal application for an official statement regarding this matter.
Ringolds Balodis is the Director of Bureau of Religious Affairs and published many articles and books on the relationship of government and religion.
