Popular Front of Latvia Front of Latvia is located in its former offices, which are owned by the state, in Vecpilsētas iela 13/15 in Riga. Popular Front of Latvia The Popular Front of Latvia () was a political organisation in Latvia in the late 1980s and early 1990s which led Latvia to its independence from the Soviet Union. It was similar to the Popular Front of Estonia and the Sąjūdis movement in Lithuania. Its newspaper was "Atmoda" ("Awakening", cf. Latvian National Awakening), printed in the Latvian and Russian languages during 1989-1992. Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania were occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940. Almost
Capital punishment in Latvia Capital punishment in Latvia Capital punishment in Latvia was abolished for ordinary crimes in 1999 and for crimes committed during wartime in 2012. Latvia is party to several international instruments which ban the capital punishment. Latvia regained independence in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union. Subsequently, the death penalty in civilian cases was reserved for murder and the only method of execution, as during Soviet times, was shooting with a single bullet to the back of the head. The last executions took place in January 1996. In October 1996, President Guntis Ulmanis claimed that he would commute any