• Administrative Court of Riga District cancelled decision of the Riga City Council to ban all events on 16 March
• World Anti-fascist Front is established today in Riga
• Simon Wiesenthal Centre Efraim Zuroff: equating Nazism and Communism is a distortion of history
• Eizenija Aldermane: House of Ethnicities should be established in Riga
• Chas reports about a festivity of Russian language in Rezekne

The Administrative Court of Riga District cancelled decision of the Riga City Council to ban all events on 16 March – unofficial commemoration day of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires. Thus, an NGO “Hawks of Daugava” will hold today a commemorative procession of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires, while, the Latvian Anti-Fascist Committee will hold a protest action against the procession. The Mayor of the Riga City Council Nils Usakovs appealed to the residents of Riga not to take part in the events.

The Administrative Court of Riga District cancelled decision of the Riga City Council to ban all events on 16 March – unofficial commemoration day of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires. Thus, an NGO Hawks of Daugava will hold today a commemorative procession of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires, while, the Latvian Anti-Fascist Committee will hold a protest action against the procession. The Mayor of the Riga City Council Nils Usakovs appealed to the residents of Riga not to take part in the events. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Participants of a conference “Lessons of WWII and the Holocaust” recently held in Riga agreed on establishment of the World Anti-fascist Front. The Front officially will be established today in Riga.

Participants of a conference Lessons of WWII and the Holocaust recently held in Riga agreed on establishment of the World Anti-fascist Front. The Front officially will be established today in Riga. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

According to the director of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Efraim Zuroff, unwillingness of Eastern European countries to reveal all truth about participation of domestic residents in Nazi crimes during the Holocaust led to a tendency to equate Nazism and Communism which is a distortion of history.

According to the director of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Efraim Zuroff, unwillingness of Eastern European countries to reveal all truth about participation of domestic residents in Nazi crimes during the Holocaust led to a tendency to equate Nazism and Communism which is a distortion of history. Diena

Head of the Education Committee of the Riga City Council Eizenija Aldermane believes that a House of Ethnicities which would gather representatives of all ethnic NGOs should be established in Riga.

Head of the Education Committee of the Riga City Council Eizenija Aldermane believes that a House of Ethnicities which would gather representatives of all ethnic NGOs should be established in Riga. Telegraf, Latvijas Avize, Diena

Chas reports about a festivity of Russian language in Rezekne (city in the Eastern part of Latvia). The festivity was held by the Centre of Russian Culture of Rezekne.

15 March, 2010

• President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers retuned the draft amendments to the Immigration Law on back to the Saeima
• Speaker of the Saeima Gundars Daudze: government will not take part in the 16 March events

The President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers retuned the draft amendments to the Immigration Law on granting residence permits to foreign investors for the repeated revision to the Saeima. According to the President, the state security bodies warned him about risk of influx to Latvia of unwanted persons and cash of unknown origin.

The President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers retuned the draft amendments to the Immigration Law on granting residence permits to foreign investors for the repeated revision to the Saeima. According to the President, the state security bodies warned him about risk of influx to Latvia of unwanted persons and cash of unknown origin. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Neatkariga

The Speaker of the Saeima Gundars Daudze in an interview with

The Speaker of the Saeima Gundars Daudze in an interview with Vesti Segodnya states that representatives of the government will not take part in the 16 March events. At the same time, Mr. Daudze considers that despite the fact that 16 March is unofficial commemoration day of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires it is not right to forbid persons who want to commemorate their comrades and relatives on this day to do it.

• Latvijas Avize: recent attack on a young man who wore a cup with Russias emblem might indicate growing ethnic tensions in Latvian society
• Department on integration issues and projects of Education Committee of the Riga City Council launched its work on 10 March

According to

According to Latvijas Avize, recent attack on a young man who wore a cup with Russias emblem might indicate growing ethnic tensions in Latvian society. Representative of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights believes that such attack might be a result of publication on the Internet of the list of occupants or personal data of car owners decorated with Russian symbols.

According to the head of the Education Committee of the Riga City Council Eizenija Aldermane, a department on integration issues and projects launched its work on 10 March. The department will elaborate a working plan which will be reviewed by the Public Council in Integration Issues. The Public Council, in its turn, will include members of the City Council, state officials, representatives of the ministry of Justice and NGOs.

According to the head of the Education Committee of the Riga City Council Eizenija Aldermane, a department on integration issues and projects launched its work on 10 March. The department will elaborate a working plan which will be reviewed by the Public Council in Integration Issues. The Public Council, in its turn, will include members of the City Council, state officials, representatives of the ministry of Justice and NGOs. Vesti Segodnya

• State Police began a criminal investigation on physical attack on a 17 year-old man who wore a cap with Russian emblem
• Latvian Embassies limit terms of visa expiree for stay in Latvia to participants of international conference Lessons of WWII and the Holocaust
• The Administrative Court of Jelgava Region initiated an administrative case on actions of the State Language Centre
• Head of the Naturalisation Board (NB) Igors Gorbunovs: reformation of the NB did not hinder acceptance of applications for naturalisation

The State Police began a criminal investigation on physical attack on a 17 year-old man who wore a cap with inscription “Russia” and Russian emblem. As reported, the youngster got brutally assaulted in the centre of Riga by two young men shouting statement such as “occupant” and others.

The State Police began a criminal investigation on physical attack on a 17 year-old man who wore a cap with inscription Russia and Russian emblem. As reported, the youngster got brutally assaulted in the centre of Riga by two young men shouting statement such as occupant and others. Vesti Segodnya, Diena

Vesti Segodnya claims that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructed Latvian Embassies in various countries to limit visa expiry terms for participants of international conference Lessons of WWII and the Holocaust planned to be held on 14-15 March in Riga. The head of archive of Holocaust Education Center in Russia was issued a visa which expires on 15 March. According to the newspaper, it is done in order to prevent participants from witnessing 16 March events in Riga – unofficial commemoration day of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires.

The Administrative Court of Jelgava Region following an appeal of the deputy of the Jekabpils City Council Natalja Cehova initiated an administrative case on actions of the State Language Centre (SLC). In November 2009, the deputy was fined by inspector of the SLC for insufficient Latvian language proficiency. However, Mrs. Cehova did not agree with the SLC’s decision arguing that her Latvian language proficiency is good enough but the additional language requirements for deputies of municipal councils occurred after the elections.

The Administrative Court of Jelgava Region following an appeal of the deputy of the Jekabpils City Council Natalja Cehova initiated an administrative case on actions of the State Language Centre (SLC). In November 2009, the deputy was fined by inspector of the SLC for insufficient Latvian language proficiency. However, Mrs. Cehova did not agree with the SLCs decision arguing that her Latvian language proficiency is good enough but the additional language requirements for deputies of municipal councils occurred after the elections. Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize reports that the head of the Naturalisation Board (NB) Igors Gorbunovs believes that reform of the NB and its merger with the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs did not hinder acceptance of applications for naturalisation and passage of examinations. According to Mr. Gorbunovs, there is a small increase the number of applicants for naturalisation. New tendency is that majority of the applicants now are men while in all previous years the majority of applicants were women. Also, a part of the applicants want to receive naturalisation in order to leave the country.

• European Commission brought apologies to Latvia for the fact that Eurobarometer materials on gender equality situation distributed in Latvia were published also in Russian language
• Latvijas Avize prints an article on illegal migration
• Experts: amendments to the Immigration Law will not attract large number of foreign investors to Latvia

Following a complaint of a MEP from Latvia Inese Vaidere, the European Commission brought apologies to Latvia for the fact that Eurobarometer materials about gender equality situation distributed in Latvia were published not only in Latvian language but also in Russian language which is not official EU language. The European Commission regretted the mistake and withdrew Russian-language translation of the Eurobarometer report from its homepage.

Following a complaint of a MEP from Latvia Inese Vaidere, the European Commission brought apologies to Latvia for the fact that Eurobarometer materials about gender equality situation distributed in Latvia were published not only in Latvian language but also in Russian language which is not official EU language. The European Commission regretted the mistake and withdrew Russian-language translation of the Eurobarometer report from its homepage. Latvijas Avize, Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize prints an article on illegal migration trough Latvia to other EU countries. According to the article, there is tendency that illegal migration trough Latvia grows every year.

Experts interviewed by

Experts interviewed by Telegraf consider that recently accepted amendments to the Immigration Law will not attract large number of foreign investors to Latvia but most likely will help to restore development of real estate market. As reported, the Saeima supported granting residence permits to foreign investors and owners of expensive real estate in Latvia.