• Minister of Culture Dace Melnbarde: production of programmes in Russian language on LTV7 increased the channel’s audience

According to the Minister of Culture Dace Melnbarde, production of programmes in Russian language on LTV7 considerably increased the channel’s Latvian and Russian speaking audience. As reported, Latvia’s public television and radio received about 1 million euros in 2014 for production of informative and analytical programmes in Russian language as alternative source of information to Russia’s channels broadcasted in Latvia. Latvijas Avize

• European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) refused a claim of an ex- the activist of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian Language Schools Jurijs Petropavlovskis
• Ministry of Foreign affairs will forward a draft law on restitution of Jewish properties to the Saeima
• Minister of Justice Dzintars Rasnacs confirmed his plans to lay down flowers in commemoration of Latvian legionnaires at the Monument of Freedom on 16 March but did not specify the time

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) refused a claim of an ex- the activist of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian Language Schools Jurijs Petropavlovskis. Between 2003 and 2004 Mr Petropavlovskis was actively involved in protests against language reform in ethnic minority schools and was one of the leaders of the protest movement. In 2003, he applied for Latvian citizenship and undergone the naturalisation procedure. However, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to strike his name out of the list of candidates applying for citizenship, thus refusing his application for naturalisation. After unsuccessful attempts to appeal the government’s decision in local court instances, Mr Petropavlovskis complained to the ECHR under Articles 10, 11 and 13 of the Convention that the allegedly arbitrary refusal of Latvian citizenship through naturalisation was a punitive measure imposed on him because he had imparted ideas and exercised his right of peaceful assembly in order to criticise the government’s position. In its decision, the ECHR noted that the availability or absence of a given civil status does not appear to have interfered with the applicant’s civic activities. The ECHR also noted that decisions on naturalisation or any other form of granting of nationality are matters primarily falling within the domestic jurisdiction of the state and are normally based on various criteria. Latvijas Avize, news agency LETA

The full text of the ECHR decision is available at: http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/sites/eng/pages/search.aspx?i=001-150232#{%22itemid%22:%5B%22001-150232%22%5D}

The Ministry of Foreign affairs is planning to forward a draft law on restitution of Jewish properties to the Saeima in the coming weeks. According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkevics, the draft law foresees return of buildings owned by Jewish community before the WWII and lost due to the Holocaust to the Latvian Council Jewish Communities. Latvijas Avize, Diena

In an interview to LTV1, the Minister of Justice, member of the National Union Dzintars Rasnacs stated that he will lay down flowers in commemoration of Latvian legionnaires at the Monument of Freedom on 16 March (unofficial commemoration day of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires) in Riga. However, he did not clarify whether it will be done at the time of the traditional procession commemorating legionnaires. The Minister, as well as, the Saeima’s Speaker Inara Muriniece also will take part in the commemorative event at legionnaires’ cemetery in Lestene. As reported, last year, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development Einars Cilinskis was forced to resign from the post because of his firm intention to participate in the procession. 

• Synod of Latvian Orthodox Church responded to a statement made by the Chief of the Security Police
• Russia’s internet portal RuBaltic.ru: number of closed Russian language schools is proportionally greater that number of Latvian language schools
• SKDS director Arnis Kaktins: political elite learned well how to use the split of society in its struggle for power

The Synod of Latvian Orthodox Church (LOC) responded to a statement made by the Chief of the Security Police Normunds Mezvietis. The Synod stated that the LOC is independent and working in accordance with the Law of the LOC and Latvian legal acts and is not involved in politics. It also denied any internal or external political influence on the LOC.  As reported, Mr Mezvietis made an assertion that Russia might use the Latvian Orthodox Church in order to influence Russian speaking residents in Latvia. Vesti Segodnya

According to a Russia’s internet portal RuBaltic.ru, despite the fact that demographic problems affected all Latvia’s residents – Russian and Latvian speakers – equally, the number of Russian language schools decreased more that schools with Latvian language of instructions. During 2000-2014 number of Russian language schools decreased almost twice – from 189 to 99, but number of Latvian language schools only for 15% - from 727 to 634. The internet portal asserts that thus the government uses demographic problem as a cover to close Russian language schools. Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize interviews the director of a public opinion research centre SKDS Arnis Kaktins. According to Mr Kaktins, the fact that Latvian society is split is clear without any researches and this split goes along ethnic or language lines. He also stressed that in daily life ethnic split does not cause big problems. But there are serious problems in politics because the political elite learned well how to use this split in its struggle for power.

• Chief of the Security Police Normunds Mezviets: Russia might use Orthodox Church as one of the tools of influence on Russian speaking residents in Latvia
• Unknown internet user threatens to shoot all non-citizens in Latvia
• Aleksandrs Gilmans and Vladimirs Buzajevs asks the Security Police and the Saeima to prevent the procession of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires on 16 March
• Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov: Russia is interested that ethnic Russian residents would feel themselves as normal citizens in Latvia

The Chief of the Security Police Normunds Mezviets in an interview with TV3 stated that Russia might use Orthodox Church as one of the tools of influence on Russian speaking residents in Latvia. According to Mr Mezvietis: “Orthodox Church in Latvia becomes more active, develops cooperation with children and young people. Tries to attract young generation and actively works also with ethnic Latvians. [..] Taking into account that Russian Orthodox Church is closely connected with state (Russia’s) government, it promotes loyalty towards Russia, concept of “Russian world”, and impression about unique mission of Russia’s geopolitical civilisation in the world context.” Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya reports about comments published on an online news portal whose author threatens to shoot all non-citizens in Latvia if Russia tries to realise in Latvia conflict similar to Ukraine. A public activist Normunds Grostins sent a complaint about such comments to the Security Police considering that it is incitement of ethnic hatred and threat of violence or even call to genocide.

Representative of the Latvian Anti-fascist Committee Aleksandrs Gilmans and representative of the Latvian Human Rights Committee Vladimirs Buzajevs sent an appeal to the Security Police and to the Saeima’s Sub-committee on Criminal Law Policy asking to prevent the procession of Latvian legionnaires on 16 March (unofficial commemoration day of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires) in Riga. The authors of the appeal argue that the amendments to the Article 74.1 of the Criminal Law adopted on 1 July 2014 stipulates criminal punishment for gross trivialisation of crimes against peace and crimes committed by Nazi and Soviet regimes. They also believe that by commemorating Latvian Waffen SS legion through such procession and without condemnation of its crimes, legionnaires and their supporters neglect feelings of victims of crimes and thus commit criminal offence. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya reports about a meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov and Latvia Edgars Rinkevics who also represented Latvia as a state holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU. After the meeting Mr Lavrov stated that Russia’s officials have never made any statements about possible restoration of the USSR borders or invasion into Latvia. He also explained that the notion of the “Russian World” includes such areas as culture, language and religion and compared it with Goethe Institute or Cervantes Institute.  Mr Lavrov stated that Russia is interested that ethnic Russian residents would feel themselves as normal citizens in Latvia and Latvia would implement all recommendations of the international institutions such as OSCE, UNO and others.

• Vesti Segodnya interviews the head of the integration department of the Ministry of Culture Solvita Vevere on support to ethnic- cultural NGOs
• Security Police will draw its attention to all Latvian residents taking part on both sides of the military conflict in Ukraine
• Latvian National Bolshevik Ajo Benes joined the army of Lugansk People’s Republic

Vesti Segodnya interviews the head of the integration department of the Ministry of Culture Solvita Vevere on support to ethnic- cultural NGOs. According to Mrs Vevere, state allocates funding for support of different NGOs’ projects every year, but it does not grant funding for functioning of NGOs. In 2014 more funding was foreseen purposefully also for regional NGOs. In total, there are 240 ethnic-cultural NGOs in Latvia and 70 of those closely cooperate with the Ministry. Mrs Vevere says that due to the lack of funding and the lack of elaborate mechanism of support to ethnic organisations all NGOs complain about the lack of support.

The Security Police (SP) stated that it will draw its attention not only to Latvia’s residents taking part in the military action in Ukraine on the side of Eastern Ukrainian separatists but also on those Latvians who fight on the side of Ukraine. According to the SP, going to regions of military actions regardless of the nature of armed conflict and involvement in it endangers not only Latvia’s national security, but also European security interests. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya reports that Latvian National Bolshevik Ajo Benes recently joined the army of so-called “Lugansk People’s Republic.” As reported, Ajo Benes took active part in the actions supporting reunion of Crimea and other Ukrainian regions with Russia in spring 2014 and positioned himself as a member of the Crimean “self defence” forces. However, after his deportation to Latvia from Ukrainian territory he was detained by Latvian police and the Security Police initiated criminal proceeding against him for calls to violent overthrow of Latvia’s state power and liquidation of Latvia’s state independence. Ajo Benes was released from the detention under restraining order not to leave Latvia. Despite that he left Latvia and travelled to Lugansk in December 2014. In an interview to the newspaper, Ajo Benes says that he was granted citizenship of the so-called Doneck People’s Republic. His escape from Latvia A.Benes calls „break away” from fascist captivity and believes that present government of Ukraine is also headed by fascists. Commenting the criminal proceeding in Latvia, A. Benes does not deny that he called for restoration of the USSR, but believes that he will win the proceeding. Vesti Segodnya