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 criminal proceedings concerning the justification or glorification of genocide and war crimes committed by the USSR
• Vesti Segodnya prints an article by Aleksandrs Gilmans about the results and impact of language reform in minority schools introduced in 2004
• Lutheran priest Guntis Kalme: commemoration and honouring of the Latvian Legion and legionnaires is highly important

The Security Police initiated criminal proceedings against an activist of the radical pro-Russian party “For Native Language” Illarion Girs. The proceeding have been initiated in accordance with the Article 741 of the Criminal Law criminalises public glorification, refusal, justification or gross trivialisation of genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes against peace, and war crimes, including if those were committed by the USSR or Nazi Germany. In his publication named “Civil Disobedience to the Neo Nazi Latvian Dogma”, Illarion Girs writes: “I publicly deny the probability of statements about genocide in Latvia committed by the Soviet power. Years when Latvia was part of the USSR were the best for Latvian people from the perspective of welfare and prosperity, including for ethnic Latvians, because the peak of cultural development was reached during the Soviet era. Yes, I glorify the entry and stay of Latvia as part of the USSR from the position of common interests of the majority of multiethnic Latvian nation and it was forth it.” The newspaper also indicates that the complaint about Girs’ statements was submitted by Mr Girs himself in order to challenge Latvia’s Criminal Law provisions. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya prints an article by Aleksandrs Gilmans, activist for defence of Russian language schools about the results and impact of language reform in minority schools introduced in 2004. According to Gilmans, in order to evaluate the impact of language reform on education quality it is important to conduct a study evaluating the results of centralised examins before and after the reform and to evaluate the competitiveness of Russian school language. Gilmans says that Vladimirs Buzajevs, currently member of Latvia’s Russian Union (formerly For Human Rights in United Latvia) and him have conducted their own research which showed that there are no major changes in the exam results before and after the reform. The only noticeable drop in results occurred in 2012 after the introduction of a centralised exam in the Latvian language for both school leavers of schools with Latvian language of instruction and minority schools.  Gilmans claims that the language reform was useless and its aim was only ideological – to force Russian teachers to speak with Russian students in Latvian language. (Latvia has schools with Latvian language of instruction and schools carrying out bilingual education programmes resulting in 60%/40% (Latvia/minority language) language ratio in high schools).

Latvijas Avize interviews doctor of theology, Lutheran priest Guntis Kalme. Mr Kalme, who leads the 16 March commemoration march of the Latvian legion, believes the commemoration and honouring of the Latvian Legion and legionnaires is highly important because it shows that ethnic Latvians are patriots and warriors. Mr Kalme says that despite the fact that the Latvian legionnaires were fighting in the Nazi uniforms during the WWII they fought for Latvia’s freedom and it should be explained internationally. He claims that “one of the reasons why there is critical attitude towards the Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires is because the enemies they fought against, in the form of fifth column, continue to live in Latvia”. Mr Kalme also believes that integration in Latvia has failed and blames the “fifth column” controlled by Russia for the failure of integration.