On October 9, Vilnis Vietnieks, the former senator of the Department of Criminal Cases of the Senate passed away (04.11.1944 - 09.10.2022).

Vilnis Vietnieks had been working in the Supreme Court from 1985 to 2010.

After seven years of work in the Jēkabpils People's Court, he was elected to the Supreme Court in 1985, and continued his work there even after the restoration of Latvia's independence. In 1995, he was elected to the first composition of the Department of Criminal Cases of the Senate and worked there until his retirement in 2010.

Vilnis Vietnieks was not only a lawyer and a senator, but also a true patriot and a poet of Selia.

In the event dedicated to his retirement the opening of his first book of poetry “Sēlijas vējš” (Selia's Wind) took place at the Supreme Court. He had been writing the poems published in the book, which are a tribute to his homeland, since the sixties, in parallel with the judicial work. In 2013, Vilnis Vietnieks published his second book of poetry "Mūžīgā vērtība” (Eternal Value), which was also a tribute to Selia and to love.

Vilnis Vietnieks also wrote a prose. In 2014, he published the book "Saukas skices" (Sketches of Sauka), in which one of the chapters includes the story of his fellow villager Jānis Skudre, the senator of the Latvian Senate, as Vilnis Vietnieks nurtured memories of him selflessly. Under his care, a commemorative plaque was installed near Skudre's home in Zalve, memorial events were held, he maintained close contacts with the family of the former senator.

Vilnis Vietnieks considered it his duty to learn about the life path of the people of his homeland and wrote the following in the introductory part of the book "Saukas skices" (Sketches of Sauka): "I have tried to fulfill my duty to my homeland, to the corner of the land of my childhood and youth." It is not only a book, but there are also many publications in local newspapers, organization of teamwork for the restoration of the Zalve church, a name plate for his native Nereta Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš Secondary School, events organized by him in Nereta, Zalve, and Sauka. There were also Selia flags placed in the offices of Supreme Court judges born in Selia. Vilnis Vietnieks was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Zalve Parish.

Vilnis Vietnieks also took care of preserving the history of the Supreme Court. He wrote down memories about the Supreme Court during the restoration of Latvian independence and about former colleagues.

And now it is time of the Supreme Court to keep memories of Vilnis Vietnieks.

The team of the Supreme Court expresses its condolences to the relatives of Vilnis Vietnieks.

 

Information prepared by

Rasma Zvejniece, the Head of the Division of Communication of the Supreme Court

E-mail: rasma.zvejniece@at.gov.lv, telephone: +371 67020396, +371 28652211