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.

• Diena features an article on application of the Section 78 of the Criminal Code which stipulates punishment for incitement and instigation to ethnic or racial hatred
• Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with the leader of radical political organisation Latvian National Democratic Party Jevgenijs Osipovs
• Columnist of Latvijas Avize criticizes a company which employs a woman who is charged for hate speech
• NRA reports on a case when a Roma man was refused a job because of his ethnicity
• Saeima has supported the draft amendments to the Law On State Secrets which stipulate access of the Ombudsman to state secrets

Diena features an article on application of the Section 78 of the Criminal Code which stipulates punishment for incitement and instigation to ethnic or racial hatred. The newspaper compares two cases initiated by the Security Police: one against a neo-Nazi Andris Jordans who has publicly stated that it would be preferable to exterminate Jews and Roma people as ‘non-humans and another case against a 23-year-old woman who placed insulting statement towards Latvia, ethnic Latvians and Latvian legionnaires on an internet forum. The Prosecutor of the Riga Regional Court Ieva Garanca terminated criminal proceedings in the first case arguing that there is a lack of features constituting criminal offence, however, she referred the second case to the court. In an interview with Diena, Ieva Garanca has stated that these two cases are not identical therefore application of the Section 78 differs. The Prosecutor also has stated that cases concerning ethnic and racial hatred are complicated due to the investigation difficulties and lack of court practice. Ieva Garanca considers that liability for less grave crimes could be set in the Code of Administrative Violations. Director of the Human Rights Institute of the University of Latvia Arturs Kucs also considers that implementation of administrative liability could be a solution in the cases when legal acts stipulate severe punishment for violations. However, lawyer of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Ilvija Puce has stated that incitement to ethnic hatred is not administrative violation. According to Ms. Puce, the Section 78 is poorly formulated, therefore, intentions of the offender are hard to prove in practice. Ilvija Puce also believes that community service would be a good punishment for the first-time offenders.

Columnist of

Columnist of Latvijas Avize criticizes a company which employs a woman who is charged with hate speech. As reported, the Prosecutors Office has forwarded to the Riga Regional Court a criminal case against 23-year-old woman who has placed insulting statement towards Latvia, ethnic Latvians and Latvian legionnaires on an internet forum. According to a representative of the company, no decision will be made regarding the accused employee until her guilt is proven.

Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with the leader of radical political organisation Latvian National Democratic Party Jevgenijs Osipovs. Mr. Osipovs believes that despite the fact that the Riga City Council banned Russian March, this event was reported by all mass media and it broke the silence about the problems that the government is unwilling to talk about. Jevgenijs Osipovs also believes that a meeting which was held instead of march proved that the officials were wrong about extremist and radical nature of the event.

NRA reports about a Roma man who was refused employment because of his ethnicity. The man explained that an employer has openly stated to him we do not hire Roma people. According to a representative of the Ombudsmans Office, the Office is ready to defend the Roma man if he submits a complaint. In total, the Ombudsmans Office has received 17 mutual and 1 written complaints since January until 1 September 2007.

The Saeima has supported the draft amendments to the Law “On State Secrets” which stipulate access of the Ombudsman to state secrets. According to

The Saeima has supported the draft amendments to the Law On State Secrets which stipulate access of the Ombudsman to state secrets. According to Diena, the access to state secrets will help the Ombudsman to review all cases comprehensively.