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.

• Russian parents cannot receive birth certificate with the name they chose for their child

 

Vesti Segodnya writes about ethnic Russian family who cannot receive the birth certificate with the name they chose for their child. The parents gave their child a traditional Russian name Miron and want this name, together with their surname Antonov to be undistorted and officially registered. The authorities offer to register the child as "Mirons Antonovs" according to Latvian language grammar. The parents disagreed with the suggested distortion and openly published request letter to the Registry Office, whereby asking to issue the birth certificate with correct original spelling of the name and surname in Latin letters and expressing their view that distortion of name and surname by the authorities is a disproportionate interference in the private and family life and thus violates Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 11 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The parents emphasise their respect towards Latvian language. Without registration the child allowance and healthcare funded by the state are not available. The parents are also worried that the name offered by the authorities ("Mirons") closely resembles word "mironis" – a "corpse" or "dead man" in Latvian language.