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.

Press Review

Press Review

Thirty-eight deputies signed the request to suspend the promulgation of the Citizenship Law amendments and on Friday submitted it to the State President. The Constitution provides that the law thus suspended should be submitted to a referendum, if not less than one-tenths of the electors so request. Juris Dobelis, Deputy Chair of the

Thirty-eight deputies signed the request to suspend the promulgation of the Citizenship Law amendments and on Friday submitted it to the State President. The Constitution provides that the law thus suspended should be submitted to a referendum, if not less than one-tenths of the electors so request. Juris Dobelis, Deputy Chair of the Tevzemei un Brivibai/LNNK said that the request to suspend the promulgation of the law was made because the amendments provide non-citizen children with rights to obtain the citizenship until reaching the age of 15 years without proving the command of the Latvian language. According to Mr. Dobelis, the referendum is the manifestation of the democracy, and the European experts should not have any objections regarding that. The Latvijas Cels has decided to ask people not to sign the request for the referendum. Ernests Jurkans, Chair of the Democratic Party Saimnieks faction, told the press that in case the Prime Minister does not take adequate steps in implementation of the Citizenship Law amendments, the Democratic Party Saimnieks is ready to summon the extraordinary session of the parliament to give the vote of no-confidence to the government. Commenting the possibility of the referendum, a journalist of the Panorama Latvii Sergey Zaletayev argues that essentially the referendum is a real democratic procedure. There are, however, issues which cannot be solved with the help of the referendum, and the citizenship for the non-citizens of Latvia is one of such issues. Diena, Neatkariga, Panorama Latvii, Chas

Some thirty, already issued "Alien's Passports" are invalid due to the technical defects on one of the pages providing the description of the special peculiarities of the passort holder. These passports will be exchanged free of charge. The Head of the Passport Center of the DCMA Andris Krekis told 

Some thirty, already issued "Alien's Passports" are invalid due to the technical defects on one of the pages providing the description of the special peculiarities of the passort holder. These passports will be exchanged free of charge. The Head of the Passport Center of the DCMA Andris Krekis toldDiena that in order to avoid the further technical problems with the non-citizen passports, the pages will be covered with a special protective film.

The Press Center of the Council of Europe informs that on Friday Latvia signed the Protocol 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights regarding the elimination of the death penalty.

The Press Center of the Council of Europe informs that on Friday Latvia signed the Protocol 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights regarding the elimination of the death penalty. Diena

The Consular Department of the Russian Embassy in Latvia will have more strict procedure for the issuance of visas to the Latvian citizens. This is a response action to the decision of the Latvian government not to soften the visa regime for the participants of the commemorational events on the Friendship Burial-Mound on the border intersection of Latvia, Russia and Belarus.

The Consular Department of the Russian Embassy in Latvia will have more strict procedure for the issuance of visas to the Latvian citizens. This is a response action to the decision of the Latvian government not to soften the visa regime for the participants of the commemorational events on the Friendship Burial-Mound on the border intersection of Latvia, Russia and Belarus. Diena, Chas