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.

• Opinions of parties on the draft law on ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
• Diena reports on allegedly racially motivated harassment against rabbi Mordehajs Glazmans
• State Security Police ask the Prosecutors Office to initiate a criminal case against journalists of the national radical newspaper DDD
• Newspapers continue discussions about Herberts Cukurs
• Article about the implementation of the minority education reform in the Riga Zolitude Gymnasium

Latvijas Avize features views of parties on the draft law on ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The Peoples Party is convinced that the current version of the law is the most suitable for Latvias circumstances. While the New Era argues that the term ‘national minority is not precisely defined and will submit their definition. The Union of Farmers and Greens as well as the Latvias First Party supports the current version of the draft law. The union For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM argues that Latvia should not ratify the Convention as several other countries have done. FF/LNIM will also submit their proposals concerning the draft law so ‘the law would correspond to the interests of Latvia. Two left-wing political parties – the Peoples Harmony party and the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia (FHRUL) – announced that there is no sense to ratify the Convention with proposed reservations and the minority definition. The head of the FHRULs parliamentary group Jakovs Pliners stated that his party will not participate in the voting on ratification of the Convention.

Diena reports on allegedly racially motivated harassment against rabbi Mordehajs Glazmans. According to the rabbi, approximately 20 young people surrounded him and shouted insulting phrases. Although the attack took place on 10 April, the police have not initiated a criminal case yet, arguing that the rabbi was not physically abused.

The State Security Police asked the Prosecutor’s Office to start a criminal prosecution against journalists Liga Muzikante and Ilze Liepa for their publications allegedly calling to national hatred in the national-radical newspaper

The State Security Police asked the Prosecutors Office to start a criminal prosecution against journalists Liga Muzikante and Ilze Liepa for their publications allegedly calling to national hatred in the national-radical newspaper DDD. In the article the columnists called to deport MPs of the so-called Russian parties - Boris Cilevics, Jakovs Pliners and Tatjana Zdanoka and used offensive language. One of the columnists Liga Muzikante, also the editor of the DDD, denies that their article called to national hatred. She stresses that she and her colleague criticised political activities of these MPs. This is a first criminal case, initiated against members of the national-radical organisation Latvian National Front. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Telegraf

Newspapers continue discussions on attempts to rehabilitate the Herberts Cukurs, famous pilot in pre-war Latvia, who in the World War II allegedly participated in the Holocaust. Representatives of the Jewish community stated that the exhibition about Herberts Cukurs, revealing a number of documents from the private archive of the Cukurs’s family, is an attempt to influence public views. Members of the Jewish community argued that the exhibition shows Cukurs as a victim of the defamation.

Newspapers continue discussions on attempts to rehabilitate the Herberts Cukurs, famous pilot in pre-war Latvia, who in the World War II allegedly participated in the Holocaust. Representatives of the Jewish community stated that the exhibition about Herberts Cukurs, revealing a number of documents from the private archive of the Cukurss family, is an attempt to influence public views. Members of the Jewish community argued that the exhibition shows Cukurs as a victim of the defamation. Latvijas Avize prints a full text of the statement of the Latvian Council of Jewish Parochial and Communities. Diena, Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize prints an article about the implementation of the minority education reform in the Riga Zolitude Gymnasium. The newspaper featured views of students, teachers and schools director. Students of 10th grade note that it is difficult to understand several subjects in Latvian. However, they believe that the number of Latvian language classes should be increased to promote Latvian language proficiency among Russian-speaking students. A student of 12th grade says that classes at secondary school should be provided only in Latvian because studies at state universities are available only in Latvian. Teachers mainly point to the lack of the qualitative dictionaries for specific subjects. The director of the gymnasium states that the success rate of students has not decreased due to the implementation of the reform.