Andrei Lankov, a Russian historian and North Korea specialist, was detained in Riga just before a scheduled lecture titled 'North Korea: What the Elite Wants and Fears'. According to the organizers, his detention was due to being placed on a blacklist by the Latvian authorities. Lankov characterized the cancellation of his lecture as a 'strange and scandalous event', indicating the sensitivity surrounding his presence in the country.

The incident unfolded when the Latvian police and migration services arrived at the venue, the Park Inn by Radisson hotel, approximately thirty minutes before Lankov's talk was set to begin. They informed him that he was on the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' list of individuals prohibited from entering the country. Following this notification, he was taken into custody and brought to the office of migration affairs for processing.

Once the necessary formalities were completed, Lankov was placed in a vehicle and expelled to Estonia. This incident highlights the ongoing tensions in Baltic states regarding Russian nationals and the geopolitical implications of their activities, especially those tied to contentious subjects such as North Korea.