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.

• Security Police initiated a criminal proceeding concerning an online collection of signatures in support of reunion of Latvia with Russia
• Ombudsman Juris Jansons accuses Vesti Segodnya of provision of false information
• The Daily Telegraph: Daugavpils might be the next region to ask for Russia’s “protection”

The Security Police initiated a criminal proceeding concerning an online collection of signatures in support of reunion of Latvia with Russia. The authors of the petition as a post scriptum to its description noted that it is just a joke. However, the Security Police considers that it contains a call to abolish the independence of Latvia with an aim to make it a part of another state. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya reports that the Ombudsman Juris Jansons in an interview with Latvian Radio 4 accused the newspaper of provision of false information reporting on his position about bilingual education. The Ombudsman asserted that he never called to close Russian language schools, but when was asked by the radio program’s host to clarify his own position regarding national minority schools, the Ombudsman did not provide a clear answer. The newspaper, in its turn, asserts that it is the Ombudsman who misleads the public and his recommendation which is officially published clearly says that “as 50% of minority students evaluate their Latvian language knowledge as good, it is recommended to set in the legal acts that secondary education for students who have studied for a while in Latvian education system is only in Latvian language.”

According to the British Daily Telegraph, Daugavpils (city in the Eastern part of Latvia) might be the next region to ask for Russia’s “protection”. The newspaper notes that Daugavpils, along with a few other Baltic settlements near Russian border, is one of few cities in the EU with a Russian speaking majority. Two of the interviewed Daugavpils residents complain about harsh economic situation, high unemployment and no benefit from Latvian membership in the EU and assume that it would be good if Latvian would become part of Russia again.