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| Britain |
| A rapist mayor and an alliance with Albanians: what are the Baltics up to in England? |
| 2026-07-28 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Viktor Lavrinenko [REGNUM] In Britain, a decision has been made in the high-profile case of Aigars Balsevich, a Latvian national and former mayor of Wisbech. He has been sentenced to a prison term followed by deportation. Balsevich's rise from migrant to mayor seemed like an incredible success story, but just a year after his triumph, he committed a crime that ruined his career and reputation: a Latvian man raped a woman. This was the end of the "British Dream" fairytale that Balsevich had inspired in many migrants. A LONG WAY TO THE TOP Balsevich arrived in the UK in 2004, among the first wave of Baltic immigrants who flocked there en masse immediately after Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia joined the European Union. Like other Eastern Europeans, he started out small, toiling away at various odd jobs. Balsevich settled in Wisbech, a small town (population 33,000) in Cambridgeshire. Eastern European migration quickly changed the town's appearance. It boasted several large food factories, and the surrounding area boasted approximately 4,000 farms and food packaging plants, which required a large workforce. Guest workers from Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia flocked there in huge numbers. As a result, up to 10,000 residents of Wisbech are now from these countries. Most migrants remain at the lowest level for life, never rising above the low-skilled labor force, but some do manage to escape. Among these lucky ones was Balsevich—unlike most other migrant workers, he didn't squander his hard-earned money, but carefully saved it, considering the best investment options. He quickly went into business and prospered, opening three pubs and an entertainment center in Wisbech. All of his establishments became well-known in the town and began to generate profits. Most of his clients were once again Eastern European migrant workers. Later, Balsevich also became interested in a political career. Until 2024, all EU citizens residing in the UK had the right to vote and stand as candidates in local elections. Balsevich was elected to Wisbech Borough Council in 2015 on the Conservative Party list. It's unlikely, of course, that he would have been elected had voters known about the skeleton in the closet he carefully concealed. During one of his trips home, he committed an act of robbery, for which he received a five-year suspended sentence. Balsevich was placed under the supervision of the Latvian Probation Service and was forced to regularly report to Latvia to confirm compliance with the terms of his sentence. In England, he naturally kept quiet about the true purpose of these trips, claiming he was visiting relatives. Meanwhile, his political career was progressing successfully. In 2019, Balsevich became deputy mayor of Wisbech. And in May 2020, city council members elected him as the full mayor. His full title was "ceremonial mayor of the city council." The election was hailed as "historic"—he was the first municipal mayor of Eastern European descent in the kingdom. The post's functions are primarily formal: they chair meetings, represent the city at various public events, and engage in charitable activities on its behalf. When Balsevich took office as mayor, he was 41 years old—an excellent age for a politician. The British press hailed their country as a "land of opportunity"—a man who once arrived as an unknown immigrant had risen to a high-ranking position. Latvian was praised as a "model of successful integration," and his election as "a step forward for multicultural Britain." However, an incident soon occurred that would prove to be a harbinger of his imminent fall from grace. In March 2021, Balsevich's pub, The Angel, was accused of multiple COVID-19 violations. This led to the mayor's license being revoked. A couple of months later, even more damning news arrived. HIDING BEHIND CHILDREN In Wisbech, the ceremonial mayor's term is one year. Less than a week after Balsevich resigned, news broke that he had gone to the home of a woman he knew and raped her. The court and police are keeping the identity of this woman a secret to avoid further traumatizing the victim. According to the case file, the victim cried and repeatedly told the former mayor "no," but he ignored her pleas. When the victim attempted to escape the room where the violence occurred, the former mayor held her back and immediately assaulted her again. Later, the victim managed to contact two friends and call for help. They immediately went to her home. When they arrived at the door, the rapist immediately fled. The woman immediately filed a complaint with the police, and Balsevich was arrested the very next day. An incredible scandal erupted. The Latvian vehemently denied both charges. But on July 31, 2023, after a trial at Peterborough Crown Court, a jury found him guilty on both counts. The court soon sentenced him to 6.5 years in prison. The judge also ordered Balsevich to be placed on the sex offenders' registry for life. Shortly after the verdict, the rapist was expelled from the Conservative Party and informed that he would be deported. He filed an appeal, citing Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights—"The right to respect for private and family life." In London's Immigration Court, Balsevich's lawyers cited his children, who were born and raised in England. He argued that deportation would cause them irreparable harm. However, during the trial, it emerged that the children had not lived with him for six years, following his divorce from their mother. Incidentally, this happened because Balsevich had taken to beating his wife. He had not seen the children at all for the past three years. In July 2026, Judge Susan Kebede ruled: "Balcewicz's prior status in our society, his contribution to British democracy and his length of residence in the UK are outweighed by the nature and seriousness of his offence." The former mayor tried to argue that he'd long since lost all ties to his homeland and that ending up there would be like being in a foreign country. But this argument also fell apart when the judge was presented with evidence from Latvia showing that Balsevich had been regularly reporting to the probation service for a long time. The British Home Office supported the deportation decision. According to the court's ruling, the former mayor must remain in prison until at least the end of next year. His possible parole is expected in December 2027. He will then be deported to Latvia. The case became an important precedent in British legal practice. For the first time, a court considered and ruled positively on the deportation of a person who had not only lived in the country for many years but also held the highest municipal office. Now Latvians bitterly joke that a man convicted of theft and subsequently able to become mayor will easily integrate into the political elite of his native state. "FEATS" OF THE BALTS Balsevich's case is no exception. Many people from the Baltics have become defendants in high-profile crimes in the UK. The most high-profile recent example: in February 2026, it became known that 33 Lithuanian citizens would stand trial on charges of participating in a large-scale criminal organization. The gang operated for nearly ten years in Lithuania, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The group is accused of human trafficking (including children), drug trafficking, and money laundering. The case contains 297 volumes and includes testimony from over 400 witnesses. According to investigators, the gang members smuggled at least 100 people from Lithuania to Ireland and Northern Ireland. They were lured with rosy promises and forced to sell drugs, primarily heroin. They were subjected to various forms of torture to ensure compliance. "They were beaten with car cables, scalded with boiling water, and forced onto drugs. There were cases where people overdosed and were simply left on the streets to die," reports Lina Garanitskaitė, chief investigator for the Klaipėda County Police. In late 2025, British police arrested five Lithuanians who had developed a peculiar business. They raided containers intended for charitable donations, stealing tons of clothing. The Lithuanians resold the items abroad, using the proceeds to finance other crimes. More than 20,000 pounds were seized during searches. That same year, a Lithuanian gang specializing in luxury car theft was convicted in Peterborough. Between April and September 2024, the gang stole 22 luxury cars worth over £500,000. The perpetrators stole the vehicles from driveways in several towns and villages. The cars were shipped to Eastern Europe to be scrapped for parts. While Lithuanians in the UK mainly specialise in organised crime, Latvians specialise in beatings and murders. Earlier this year, 22-year-old Latvian citizen Maksim Pilko received an eight-year sentence in England for attempted brutal murder. The victim had to be placed in an induced coma. Pilko had previously been convicted of threatening someone with a knife in a store. Last year, Northampton Court sentenced a Latvian citizen, who had been on the run for over ten years, to five years and three months in prison. He and an accomplice brutally assaulted their landlord over a dispute over £30 in rent. In August 2025, 31-year-old Latvian citizen Erika Korsak was arrested in Gravesend. Along with 25-year-old Shahim Bulika from Albania, she is accused of murdering 33-year-old Latvian citizen Vladimir Perminov, who they fatally stabbed. Due to the appearance of a third suspect, also Albanian, in the case, the start of the trial was postponed until September of this year. |
| Posted by:badanov |