• Resident of Tukums received threats to life and health motivated by ethnic hatred; Police initiated criminal proceedings
• Saeima might approve the draft amendments to the Citizenship Law by April

Vesti Segodnya reports that the Police in Tukums (town in the Central part of Latvia) has initiated criminal proceedings regarding threats to life and health. The threats were motivated by ethnic hatred and sent anonymously to a woman trough the social-networking website. The offender knows the place of work and residence of the woman. In the message, the woman got insulted because of her Russian ethnicity.

Neatkariga reports that the Saeima might approve the draft amendments to the Citizenship Law by April. The Citizenship Law has not been amended for 14 past years. Currently the MPs are discussing the draft amendments which allow dual citizenship for children born abroad in a family of Latvian citizen and foreigner and to those who got deprived of Latvian citizenship after receiving foreign citizenship. The MPs also discuss granting Latvian citizenship to Latvians who emigrated from the country before the restoration of independence in 1991 (at present, only those emigrants were granted Latvian citizenship who registered before 1995); and granting citizenship automatically to children born in a family of Latvian non-citizens.

• Opinions of politicians differ regarding granting citizenship to children of Latvian non-citizens automatically
• Opinion of the Latvian high officials on whether it is worth to take part in the up-coming national referendum on language issues

Telegraf reports on opinion of some Latvian politicians regarding draft amendments to the Citizenship Law stipulating granting citizenship to children born in the family of Latvian non-citizens automatically. The ex-President, MP Valdis Zatlers and the effective President Andris Berzins support such amendments believing that those should be approved as a matter of urgency. Head of Saeimas Legal Affairs Committee Ilma Cepane, in her turn, does not support the initiative considering it is enough that parents are free to choose whether they want their child to become Latvian citizen. Presently, parents non-citizens should submit a request to grant their child Latvian citizenship, otherwise, child get registered as non-citizen.

Latvijas Avize prints an opinion of the Latvian high officials on whether it is worth to take part in the up-coming national referendum on the Constitutional amendments stipulating granting Russian language status of a state language in Latvia. The President Andris Berzins does not see the reason to take part in the referendum. The President believes that the Latvian language should remain the only state language in the country and splitting the society on language basis and mutual confrontation does not promote development of the unity of the society. The Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis and the Parliaments Speaker Solvita Aboltina state that they will take part in the referendum voting against the amendments and call all Latvian citizens to do the same. Mrs Aboltina believes that compromises in the language issues are impermissible.

• National referendum on the Constitutional amendments stipulating granting Russian language status of the state language most likely will be held on 18 February

Most likely the national referendum on the Constitutional amendments stipulating granting Russian language status of the state language will be held on 18 February 2012

Most likely the national referendum on the Constitutional amendments stipulating granting Russian language status of the state language will be held on 18 February 2012. Head of the Presidents State Language Commission Andrejs Veisbergs believes that such initiative is harmful for peoples minds and unity of society. At the same time, Mr Veisbergs believes that the initiative also might unite ethnic Latvians around Latvian language as never before. The President of Latvia Andris Berzins states that he will abstain from the referendum. At the same time, the President states that he will never sign a draft law on granting Russian language status of the state language in Latvia. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Neatkariga, Telegraf

• Saeimas Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee: the MP Nikolajs Kabanovs (Concord Centre) broke the deputys oath by signing for the second official language
• Concord Centre prepared compromise amendments to language legislation

Newspapers report that the Saeima’s Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee decided that by signing in support of the initiative on granting Russian language status of official in Latvia, the MP Nikolajs Kabanovs broke the deputy’s oath. The Committee decided on the highest possible sanction against the MP: written warning, which will be announced at the Saeima’s sitting and published in

Newspapers report that the Saeimas Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee decided that by signing in support of the initiative on granting Russian language status of official in Latvia, the MP Nikolajs Kabanovs broke the deputys oath. The Committee decided on the highest possible sanction against the MP: written warning, which will be announced at the Saeimas sitting and published in Latvijas Vēstnesis (the Official Gazette). Vesti Segodnya also points at a wider problem of civil rights and data protection of ordinary citizens, because many readers complained that their employers threatened them with dismissal if they sign for the initiative. Chas, Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga, Vesti-Segodnya

The Concord Centre prepared draft amendments to State language law stipulating wider opportunities to use minority languages in communication with public authorities in areas where minority population comprise more than 20% of the residents, as well as to revoke reservations made by Latvia when ratifying the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. According to Nils Usakovs, the chairperson of the Concord Centre, these amendments are a compromise offer for those Latvian citizens who signed the initiative to grant Russian language the status of official second language.

The Concord Centre prepared draft amendments to State language law stipulating wider opportunities to use minority languages in communication with public authorities in areas where minority population comprise more than 20% of the residents, as well as to revoke reservations made by Latvia when ratifying the Council of Europes Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. According to Nils Usakovs, the chairperson of the Concord Centre, these amendments are a compromise offer for those Latvian citizens who signed the initiative to grant Russian language the status of official second language. Chas, Diena, Vesti-Segodnya

• Governing coalition calls citizens to take part in the expected referendum and to vote against granting Russian language status of state language in Latvia
• Vesti Segodnya: Russian speaking residents not proficient in state language have almost no chance to find a job
• Head of the Saeimas Society Consolidation Committee Ilmars Latkovskis: it is important to find common values for ethnic Latvian and ethnic Russian residents
• Neatkariga: initiative to grant Russian language status of state language in Latvia got supported also by some ethnic Latvians residing abroad and married to Russian speaking spouses

The governing coalition’s parties – the Unity, the Zatler’s Reforms Party, and the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM – calls Latvian citizens to vote against granting status of state language to Russian language at the expected national referendum. The coalition believes that Latvian language is the foundation of independent Latvia.

The governing coalitions parties – the Unity, the Zatlers Reforms Party, and the nationalists union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM – calls Latvian citizens to vote against granting status of state language to Russian language at the expected national referendum. The coalition believes that Latvian language is the foundation of independent Latvia. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga

According to

According to Vesti Segodnya, Russian speaking residents who have insufficient state language proficiency have almost no chance to find a job in the circumstances of large unemployment in Latvia. Newspaper notes that even low-skilled vacancies require for particular level of state language proficiency. Author of the article believes that such requirements hinder economic development of the country and promotes emigration of economically active residents.

According to the head of the Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee (ex-Committee on Citizenship Law Implementation Committee) Ilmars Latkovskis, it is important to find common values for ethnic Latvian and ethnic Russian residents in order to promote consolidation of the society.  Ilmars Latkovskis believes that very important issue is to establish the dialogue among ethnic Latvian majority and ethnic minorities and the Committee will try to achieve it.

According to the head of the Saeimas Society Consolidation Committee (ex-Committee on Citizenship Law Implementation Committee) Ilmars Latkovskis, it is important to find common values for ethnic Latvian and ethnic Russian residents in order to promote consolidation of the society. Ilmars Latkovskis believes that very important issue is to establish the dialogue among ethnic Latvian majority and ethnic minorities and the Committee will try to achieve it. Diena, Latvijas Avize

Neatkariga reports that the initiative to grant Russian language status of state language in Latvia got supported also by some ethnic Latvians residing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. One of the ethnic Latvians who supported the initiative explains his action by the fact that he is married to Ukrainian woman and is planning to move with the family back to Latvia. And for his wife it would be much easier if Russian language is acknowledged as state language.