The paper “Combating Hate Crimes in Latvia: Legislation and Police Practice” maps and analyses the situation concerning hate crimes in Latvia, including legislation and police practises, in order to identify the gaps and to improve legislative and law enforcement responses to hate crimes.
On 26 May 2005 the Saeima passed the law On the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, thus ending 10-year-long period of discussion of the ratification of the Convention, signed by the Latvian government on 11 May 1995. On 3 October 2006 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the first State Report of the Republic of Latvia on the implementation of the Framework Convention in Latvia. Despite announced intentions declared by state institutions, no broad public discussions were held and no national minority organisations were involved in the report preparation process.
The brochure explains what are hate crimes.
Summary about human rights in Latvia in 2006 prepared for annual report of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights.
Available statistical data on Roma’s inclusion and achievement within the Latvian education system raises serious concerns. Among the 5,985 Romani people who were fifteen years old or older at the time of the last census in 2000, 24.3 per cent have not completed the fourth grade. For comparison, only 2.1 per cent of the Latvian general population has not completed primary education.