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.
aprīlis 14, 2009
- President of the European Court of Human Rights Jean-Paul Costa visits Latvia
- Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Riekstins: participation in municipal elections is a political process
- Estonian border guards refused transit entry to Councillor of the Riga City Council
Jean-Paul Costa, the President of the European Court of Human Rights, makes an official visit to Latvia on 13-16 April 2009. Mr. Costa will meet the President of Latvia, the Prime Minister, other ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Justice as well as judges. Jean-Paul Costa will also deliver a public lecture at the Riga Graduate School of Law. During the last 10 years ECHR received more than 1500 applications on Latvia. Diena
In an interview withIn an interview with Chas, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Riekstins states that participation in municipal elections is a political process; therefore, non-citizens should naturalise in order to receive the right to take part in this process. The Minister also considers that Latvian non-citizens have some privilege over citizens because now non-citizens can travel to Russia without visa.
Vesti Segodnya reports that on 12 April 2009 Estonian border guards refused transit entry to Councillor of the Riga City Council Vladislavs Rafalskis, who accompanied a group of Russian schoolchildren from Latvia on return from a cultural trip to Russia. The border guards announced that Mr.Rafalskis is banned from entering Estonia, yet refused to explain anything. Prior to the trip, Rafalskis checked the black-lists of Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and his name was not officially banned. He guesses that the refusal is related to his membership in Latvian Anti-Fascist Committee.