Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

• The Prosecutor’s Office brought charges against a man who published a petition in support of Latvia’s merger with Russia
• Political scientist Juris Rozenvalds supports establishment of a national Russian language TV channel
• Latvijas Avize prints a critical article about plans of the Rezekne City Council to grant 50 EUR to every WWII veteran

The Prosecutor’s Office brought charges against a man who published a petition on the Internet in support of Latvia’s merger with Russia. The man is charged in accordance with the Criminal Law on public calls for the destruction of the independence of the Republicof Latviaas a state, with purpose of incorporating Latviainto a unified state structure with some other state. According to the Security Police, the man is not related to the well known supporters of Russia’s policy on compatriots. Vesti Segodnya

According to a political scientist Juris Rozenvalds, public opinion surveys show that Latvian TV viewers’ audience splits on two separate groups – 80% of those who speak at home in Latvian language mostly watch only Latvian TV channels, but 85% of those residents who speak at home in Russian language watch mostly Russia’s TV channels. Mr Rozenvalds believes that it is very important to talk to those people who have been excluded from the informative space in Latvia. And the best way how to interest these people is to offer competitive TV content by establishing a national TV channel in Russian language. He also believes that potential audience of this channel should be involved in creation of the channel’s content. Latvijas Avize (20.04), Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize prints a critical article about plans of the Rezekne (city in the Eastern part ofLatvia) City Council to grant benefit to 81 WWII veterans in amount50 EUR per person. According to the newspaper it is doubtful whether all the persons in the list of veterans prepared by an NGO “RRO LAKCA” are war veterans. The newspaper also doubts if the local government is allowed to grant funding for such benefits, and if yes, Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires also should be granted equal benefits. The Mayor of Rezekne Aleksandrs Bartasevics explains that the local government also in the previous years supported veterans. The list of veterans will be checked and the benefit will be transferred directly to each of them and not to the NGO, says Mr Bartasevics. He also says that there are not only war veterans in the list but also victims of Leningrad blockade, prisoners of the concentration camps, and labour veterans.