Integration monitor
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.
Dec. 28, 2006
- Minor sentenced for incitement to racial hatred
- Interview with the Minister of Justice
On 27 December, the Riga Regional Court found a 17-year-old girl guilty under Section 78 of the Criminal Law for incitement to racial hatred. The court sentenced the girl to the four year suspended imprisonment. As reported, in January 2006 the girl physically and verbally assaulted two dark skinned citizens of Sri Lanka. Latvijas Avize, Chas
Latvijas Avize features an interview with the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins. He assures that he is against mass naturalisation and states that a part of new citizens are not loyal towards Latvia. He provides his interpretation of loyalty – persons attitude, language skills, correct understanding of the history, respect towards cultures of the peoples living in Latvia. The Minister says that his party will talk to the coalition partners to discuss introduction of higher requirements for naturalisation. Regarding the Naturalisation Board, the Minister wants to consider re-focusing of its activities. In the view of the Minister, the Naturalisation Board should be also dealing with repatriation: promoting repatriation of people from Latvia to their ethnic homelands and returning Latvians and Livs from abroad. The Minister notes that it was his proposal to double the funding for the State Language Centre and leave it under auspices of the Minister of Justice and not the Ministry of Education and Science.