ˌɔn twˈɛnti fˈaɪv ˈeɪpɹəl tˈuː θˈaʊzənd, ðə kɹˈɪmɪnəl ɐfˈɛɹz dᵻvˈɪʒən ɪn lˈætviə ˌoʊvɚtˈɜːnd hɪz kənvˈɪkʃən ɔnðə ɡɹˈaʊndz ðˌɐɾɪt wʌz nˌɑːt klˈɪɹli ɪstˈæblɪʃt wˈɛðɚ kˈɑːnənˌɑːv wʌz ˈɑːpɚɹˌeɪɾɪŋ ˌɔn ˈɑːkjʊpˌaɪd tˈɛɹɪtˌoːɹi ænd wˈɛðɚ hiː ænd hɪz mˈɛn kʊd biː kənsˈɪdɚd kˈɑːmbætənts, æz wˈɛl æz wˈɛðɚ ðə vˈɪlɪdʒɚz kʊd biː kənsˈɪdɚd pɹˈɪzənɚz ʌv wˈɔːɹ bˈeɪst ˌɔn ðɛɹ ˈɑːɹməmənt baɪ ðə dʒˈɜːmənz.
On 25 April 2000, the Criminal Affairs Division in Latvia overturned his conviction on the grounds that it was not clearly established whether Kononov was operating on occupied territory and whether he and his men could be considered combatants, as well as whether the villagers could be considered prisoners of war based on their armament by the Germans.