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.

Integration and Minority Information Service

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• Constitutional Court rules that language restrictions in the Law on Radio and Television do not comply with international norms
• Some of protest letters against the education reform turned out to be fake

• Court justifies 4 policemen who beat a Roma man

The Constitutional Court ruled that language restrictions in the Law on Radio and Television, which stipulate that only up to 25% of radio and TV programmes may be aired in a foreign languages, do not comply with the Constitution and international norms and thus are null and void.

In the last month the Ministry of Education received about 1,000 letters voicing protest against the education reform from private persons. The Ministry discovered that one signature is forged, as the alleged writer, when receiving the response letter from the Education Ministry, announced that has not sent any letters. It turned out that about 6 addresses are not residential but business addresses although signed by private persons. The Ministry will hand in the letters to the Prosecutor Office. Diena, Chas

Chas

reports about the decision of the court in the case of 4 policemen, who beat two Roma men when detaining them; one man died from the beating. The court ruled that the death of a man was a coincidence. The newspaper comments that there are no boundaries for policemen. The wife of the killed man will appeal the decision. Diena, Neatkariga, Vesti Segodnya