Alfred Riekstiņš with the nickname "Imants" dies as a result of the betrayal of a double agent of the USSR
Alfrēds Riekstiņš, a Latvian legionnaire, was recruited for cooperation with the US intelligence service CIA after World War II.
Alfrēds Riekstiņš (pseudonym "Imants", "Ogor A. Feldman" for communication with US government institutions, cryptonym CAMUSO/1). Riekstiņš was born in 1913 in Sabile. Agricultural worker. While fighting in the Latvian Legion, he served up to the rank of lieutenant. Awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, II and I Class Iron Crosses, Infantry Strike Merit, Melee Merit and Wound Merit for valor in combat. In May 1945, at the time of Germany's capitulation, he managed to get to Sweden on the last boat from Kurzeme. In 1951, he agreed to cooperate with the US intelligence service.
https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/dzive--stils/vesture/kgb-slepenie-arhivi.-spiegu-speles-latvija-cia-agenti-psrs-dienesta.a261845/
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Memorial stone of Alfred Riekstiņš
Memorial stone to Latvian Legion lieutenant and national partisan Alfred Riekstiņš, who died near the "Dreimaņi" house on September 11, 1952
On September 11, 1952, Alfred Riekstiņš, a lieutenant of the 19th SS Grenadier Division (Latvian No. 2) of the Latvian Legion and a Knight of the Iron Cross, died in the yard of the "Dreimaņi" house. On May 9, 1945, Alfred Riekstiņš from Pāvilosta arrived in Sweden with one of the last boats. On August 30, 1952, Alfrēds Riekstiņš, together with two former Latvian soldiers, landed in Kurzeme on behalf of the US intelligence services. The security services of the USSR knew about the operation and surrounded the intelligence officers in the shed of the "Dreimaņi" house, where Alfred Riekstiņš committed suicide by biting a poison ampoule.
Exhibition in the KGB Building "History of KGB Operations in Latvia"
The former USSR State Security Committee (commonly known as Cheka) building is open for visitors. Here chekists imprisoned, interrogated and murdered Latvian citizens who were considered opponents by the occupation regime. There is also an exhibit from the Latvian Occupation Museum on the activities of Cheka in Latvia. Guided tours of the prison cells, corridors, basement and courtyard are available. The house was built in 1911 and it is one of the most beautiful buildings in Riga. Called the ‘Corner House’ by the people, it was the scariest symbol of the Soviet occupation regime in Latvia, and also one of the pillars of power of the USSR. Cheka operated from the Corner House during the occupation from 1940 to 1941 and then again from 1945 to 1991. Tens of thousands of Latvians were affected by direct political persecution. The fight against enemies of Soviet rule continued also after World War II. Cheka’s approach towards its operation slightly changed after Stalin’s death. Physical torture was replaced by psychological terror. The majority of Cheka agents were Latvians (52%). Russians were the second largest group – 23.7%. 60.3% of the agents were not members of the Communist Party. 26.9% of the agents had higher education. The system was designed in a way to involve local people and thus have greater control over the society. Staff documents and service records are located in Russia. And these materials have not been made available to Latvian authorities and researchers.
