• Security Police finds no offence in statements about "robbers' gene in Russian mentality" and Russians "created mostly not for work but for robbery" 

The Security Police concluded that the statements of writer and pedagogue Antons Rancans about ethnic Russians are tendentious, but do not constitute criminal offence (corpus delicti). As reported, in an interview with newspaper Neatkariga on 22 August 2014, Mr. Rancans stated that "there is robbers' gene in Russian mentality… mostly, they were created not for work but for robbery." The Security Police concluded that the statements of Mr. Rancans can be seen as tendentious and one-sided, yet these statements do not constitute offence (corpus delicti) envisioned by the Section 78 of the Criminal Law (incitement to ethnic hatred). Vesti Segodnya

• Public rally in support of education in native language and against language inspection took place in Daugavpils 

A public rally took place in Daugavpils (mainly Russian-speaking town in East Latvia). The participants protested against the government plans to further reduce the share of education in native language of instruction in national minority schools. The participants also protested against the fines imposed by the State Language Inspection (SLE) as well as called to abolish SLE as such. The rally was organised by the Russian Union of Latvia. Vesti Segodnya

 

• Candidates discussed the possibility of Russian interference amid allegations of discrimination against Russian minority
• Latvian Human Rights Committee: 83% of population reduction in Latvia represents the reduction of ethnic minorities 

Latvijas Avize organised pre-election discussion in Dagda (town in Latgale not far from Byelorussian border) with candidate MPs. Latvijas Avize started the discussion with references to Paul Gregory (The Forbes) and Edward Lucas (The Economist) who suggested that Russia might interfere in Latvia alleging discrimination of Russian minority. Edvins Snore (nationalists’ union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM) believes such scenario is possible because of internal insecurity, ethnic composition of population and sentiments. He warned against too friendly relations with Russia, and Latvia shall not allow the broadcasting of Russia’s channels in Latvia, which is incompatible with loyalty towards the state. Vitalijs Aizbalts (Honour to serve Riga!) believes such scenario is impossible, because ethnic Latvians, Latgalians, Russians, Jews, Poles lived and co-existed peacefully in Latgale throughout the centuries, unless the politicians incite hatred, and the best defence is good neighbour relations. Edgars Jaunups (For the development of Latvia!) and Dzintars Zakis believe such scenario is unlikely. The Minister of Defence Raimonds Vejonis (Greens and Farmers Union) stated that such scenario is impossible in Latvia, because people in Latvia are patriotic and the army is ready. The government plans to increase defence spending, train anti-helicopter units and purchase ground-to-air missiles, increase the number of National Guards (voluntary military self-defence, Zemessardze) and provide the same training and equipment as to the regular army, and double the number of Youth Guards (youth of 12 to 18, Jaunsardze). 

Latvian Human Rights Committee (LHRC) published research "Legal and social situation of the Russian-speaking minority in Latvia". 83% of the reduction of population of Latvia since independence represents the reduction of ethnic minorities. While the birth rates and death rates of representatives of ethnic majority and minorities were equal in 1991, by 2012, the death rate among minorities was 31% higher than among ethnic Latvians and the birth rate among minorities was 36% lower than among ethnic Latvians. The majority of stateless persons in the EU are the non-citizens of Latvia and Estonia, while the total population of Latvia and Estonia is less than 1% of the EU population. LHRC points out that the government further curtails the right to choose the language of instruction in minority schools. Vesti Segodnya

 

• The Security Police does not rule out the possibility that in the future some Latvian Muslims may join Islamic terrorists
• Discussion about Old Believers’ community in Latvia conducted in Riga
• Jakovs Pliners (Russian Union of Latvia) claims that government for desire to liquidate Russian language schools

Vesti Segodnya reports that the Security Police does not rule out the possibility that in the future some Latvian Muslims may join terrorists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant. At the same time, the SP does not have information about Latvian residents who may go to Iraq and Syria with an aim to take part in the military activities and those who may join terrorists.

Vesti Segodnya prints an article on discussion about Old Believers’ community in Latvia conducted in Riga. Participants mentioned several factors which endanger the Old Believers’ community: attempts to liquidate education in Russian language as their religion is closely tied to Russian; decline of the number of young people and residents of Latgale (eastern Latvian region) as significant part of the Old Believers traditionally resided there; lack of financial support from government as compared with other traditional confessions; and aggressive political discourse of the politicians of the nationalists’ union towards ethnic minorities.

One of the leaders of the political party Russian Union of Latvia Jakovs Pliners prints an article in Vesti Segodnya criticizing government’s plans to transfer almost all content of education in minority schools into Latvian language. J.Pliners believes that such reform is aimed at liquidation of Russian language schools in Latvia and humiliation of Russian speaking residents.

• Media report about an attack on a Ukrainian girl by two other girls because of wrong pronunciation in Russian
• Latvijas Avize report about the conclusions of a research “Analyses of Integration Process of Latvian Non-citizens: Study, Forecasts, Solutions, and Dialogue”
• Neatkariga reports about a study “Russia’s Public Diplomacy in Latvia: Media and Non-governmental Sector”

Newspapers report about a case involving a girl, a Ukrainian asylum seeker, allegedly attacked because of her wrong pronunciation in Russian.  The police have challenged the initial media story by calling the incident an ordinary conflict without ethnic undertones. The incident happened during a drawing class at a youth centre in the city of Jelgava, when the Ukrainian girl had used Ukrainian words for stationary instead of Russian ones which had led to ridiculing and aggressive conduct by other girls. Shortly after the story about the incident appeared in the media, the police received a complaint from the father of the Ukrainian girl about the conflict which had occurred on 16 September. The police have opened an administrative case about the incident, but after taking witness statements and assessing other facts deny the fact that the girl was attacked because she is Ukrainian. Latvijas Avize, Diena

Latvijas Avize reports about the conclusions of a research project “Analyses of the Integration Process of Latvian Non-citizens: Study, Forecasts, Solutions, and Dialogue” conducted by the Baltic Institute of Social Sciences. The survey conducted as part of  research showed that, despite non-citizens claims that the status of a non-citizen is discriminatory and causes inconvenience, they were unable to provide specific examples of discrimination. At the same time, non-citizens acknowledged that the status enables them to travel to Russia without visas. According to one of the researchers Inese Supule, the differences in the rights of citizens and non-citizens mainly concern political rights and the right to occupy certain posts and professions. According to the research the dissatisfaction about the status of a non-citizen is caused by subjective feelings of discrimination based more on emotions than arguments. Such feelings are exacerbated by certain politicians to the left who try to convince that such status is humiliating, while certain politicians to the right question the loyalty of non-citizens and new naturalised citizens towards Latvia. A large number of non-citizens who took part in the survey said that they were not aware about the Non-citizens  Congress which claims to be the defender of non-citizen rights and interests. According to the research, in 20 years the number of non-citizens in Latvia will decrease from present 282, 000 to 74,000 persons.

Neatkariga reports about a study “Russia’s Public Diplomacy in Latvia: Media and Non-governmental Sector” conducted by the Eastern European Policy Research Centre. Authors of the study highlight two main instruments of Russia’s propaganda aimed at splitting  the Latvian society: dissemination of perceptions that Russian speaking residents in Latvia are discriminated of and the imposition of Russia’s interpretation of history. The authors also believe that in order to resist Russia’s propaganda, Riga should become the centre of Russian democracy where Russian democrats and liberals would create alternatives to Russia’s propaganda. The authors also propose that the transmission of Russia’s “undesirable” TV channels in Latvia be ceased.