Witness protection - national proceedings

Republic of Latvia

Latvia - Criminal Procedure Code 2005 (2022) EN

Section 24. Protection of a Person and Property in the Case of a Threat
(1) A person who is threatened in connection to the fulfilment of his or her criminal procedural obligation has the right to request the person directing the proceedings to take the measures provided for by law for the protection of such person and his or her property, as well as for the protection of the immediate family of such person.

(2) When receiving the information referred to in Paragraph one of this Section, the person directing the proceedings shall, depending on the specific circumstances, decide on the necessity to take one or more of the following measures:
1) to initiate another criminal proceeding for the investigation of the threat;
2) to select a corresponding security measure for the person in the interest of whom the threat has taken place;
3) to institute determination of special procedural protection for the person who is being threatened;
4) to assign law enforcement institutions with the task of protecting the person or his or her property, as well as protecting the immediate family of such person.

(3) If the measures referred to in Paragraph two of this Section are not able to prevent an actual threat to the life of a person, the person directing the proceedings shall refuse the use of the evidence that is the case of the threat. .

Rome Statute

Article 93 Other forms of cooperation

1. States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Part and under procedures of national law, comply with requests by the Court to provide the following assistance in relation to investigations or prosecutions:

(j) The protection of victims and witnesses and the preservation of evidence;