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.

• Latvian National Human Rights Office published its annual report on the situation of human rights in Latvia in 2004
• State officials condemn the expressions of the head of Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Aleksandrs Kirsteins
• 420 persons renounced Latvian citizenship last year
• Court launches the revision of a case of two members of the Latvian Human Rights Committee accused in violating public order
• Interview with former prime minister Andris Skele
• Interview with former parliamentary secretary of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Aleksandrs Brandavs
• Author of several books on the Holocaust Leonids Kovals criticizes the attitude of the Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga towards events of the World War II
• Vesti Segodnya continues to write about EU discussions with Russia on human rights issues
• Diena about FHRUL

The official newspaper

The official newspaper Latvijas Vestnesis reports that the Latvian National Human Rights Office published its annual report on the human rights situation in Latvia in 2004. According to the representative of the National Human Rights Office, last year the majority of individual complaints received by the Office were regarding the following three issues: work of attorneys, in particular people have complained that attorneys assigned by the state do not perform their duties; work of courts – very often courts decide to apply imprisonment as the only safety measure and that it takes a very long time to receive a translation of courts decision in other languages; and work of the mass media – often the presumption of innocence has been violated by the mass media. The newspaper does not report that there are any other violations in the field of minority rights in Latvia.

Russian-language newspapers reprint excerpts from the interview with the Head of the Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Aleksandrs Kirsteins (the People’s Party) published in the Latvian daily

Russian-language newspapers reprint excerpts from the interview with the Head of the Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Aleksandrs Kirsteins (the Peoples Party) published in the Latvian daily Latvijas Avize. In this interview Aleksandrs Kirsteins stated that Latvia should sign such a border agreement with Russia which would stipulate that Russia must deport all ‘civil occupants from Latvia. When asked to comment the Kirsteins statements, the Latvian Prime Minister Aigars Kalvits (the Peoples Party) stated that the views of the Peoples Party are represented by the foreign affairs minister, the prime minister and the chairman of the party. The representative of the Latvias First Party Krisjanis Peters condemned the Kirsteins statements and said that such statements were not acceptable for his party. Chas, Telegraf

Last year 420 persons renounced Latvian citizenship. The main reason of renouncement is the acquisition of citizenship of another country: 253 people acquired Russian citizenship, 56 – German, 23 – Belorussian citizenship.

Last year 420 persons renounced Latvian citizenship. The main reason of renouncement is the acquisition of citizenship of another country: 253 people acquired Russian citizenship, 56 – German, 23 – Belorussian citizenship. Telegraf

Today the Riga Kurzeme District Court (Rigas pilsetas Kurzemes rajona tiesa) launched the revision of a case of two members of the Latvian Human Rights Committee Jurijs Kotovs and Nikolajs Oniscuka accused in violating public order. The members of the committee agitated students of the Anninmuiza Secondary School to participate in the picket in the support for the amendments to the Law on Education, prepared by the opposition parties and which would stipulate that the language of instruction is a choice of students and school administrations.

Today the Riga Kurzeme District Court (Rigas pilsetas Kurzemes rajona tiesa) launched the revision of a case of two members of the Latvian Human Rights Committee Jurijs Kotovs and Nikolajs Oniscuka accused in violating public order. The members of the committee agitated students of the Anninmuiza Secondary School to participate in the picket in the support for the amendments to the Law on Education, prepared by the opposition parties and which would stipulate that the language of instruction is a choice of students and school administrations. Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize interviews former Prime Minister Andris Skele. Regarding the political situation in the country, Andris Skele states that there have been several occasions when Latvian politicians have ‘invited Russia to intervene in the domestic affairs of Latvia, in particular, Andris Skele refers to the policy and strategy implemented by Karlis Sadurskis (former education minister, member of the New Era) regarding the minority education reform. Andris Skele argues that ‘untactful and vulgar debates in Saeima [about the reform in the times when Karlis Sadurskis was the education minister] pushed people on the streets and protest against the reform. When discussing the language situation, Andris Skele notes that very often Russian children lack motivation to study the Latvian language, while their knowledge of other European languages are better than knowledge of these languages of Latvian children. When asked what he would like to say to the public, Andris Skele says ‘we should start discussing Turkeys accession to the EU… despite different mentalities, Latvians and Russians are children of one book, one religion… In no way I have anything against Muslims, however, I want to stress that our inclusion in the EU means that we have to deal with migration, other interests and other level of tolerance. In further conversation, the former prime minister notes that Latvians should not emphasise any more that a person can be Latvian only if s/he was born Latvian.

Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with former parliamentary secretary of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Aleksandrs Brandavs. He believes that a specific department which would deal with minorities political and cultural development issues, should be established. Aleksandrs Brandavs also stresses that Riga does not have a programme on societal integration although the majority of its residents belongs to ethnic minorities.

Vesti Segodnya reprints a full text of the letter of the author of several books on the Holocaust Leonids Kovals to the Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga. In his letter the writer sharply criticizes the attitude of the President as well as the Latvian society towards events of the World War II. He states that for 14 years since Latvia re-established its independence Russians have been objects of irrational hatred in the country.

Vesti Segodnya continues to write about the consultations on human rights issues between Russia and the EU. The newspaper pays particular attention to those discussions which touched upon the issues of minority rights in Latvia and Estonia. According to the representative of the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry Vladimirs Parsikovs, Russia talked about mass non-citizenship and problems concerning the minority education reform as well as demanded to grant non-citizens the right to vote in municipal elections.

The daily

The daily Diena continues to introduce its readers with parties running for seats in the Riga City Council. Todays article is about the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia. In the conclusion the daily stresses that minority issues have been the top priority of the union since its foundation: the party has been the main actor in organising protest actions against the minority education reform, it was also the key founder of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian Language Schools.