• The Saeima adopts amendments to the Citizenship Law
• Newspapers report about Victory Day celebrations in Riga

Yesterday, the Saeima adopted amendments to the Citizenship Law. The amendments grant the right to Latvian citizenship to those ethnic Latvians and Livonians (autochthonous Finno-Ugric population), who can prove their knowledge of Latvian language, as well as to those former citizens and their descendants, who escaped or were deported from Latvia and failed to restore citizenship during the 1990s. The amendments allow dual citizenship for selected countries: EU, NATO, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, as well as countries concluding treaties on recognition of dual citizenship with Latvia. MPs of the Concord Centre alleged differential approach, such as the amendments exclude Russia, Byelorussia and Israel from the dual citizenship option. The amendments also simplify bureaucratic procedure on registration of non-citizens’ children born in Latvia as Latvian citizens.

Newspapers report about the celebration of the end of the WWII or “Victory Day” on 9 May in Riga, at the Monument to Liberators from Nazi Invaders. The mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs and some diplomatic representatives, including the ambassador of Russian Aleksander Veshyakov, laid flowers to the Monument in the morning. The celebrations included on-stage performances by various folk cultural groups, and on-screen memoir interviews of the WWII veterans, as well as a concert and fireworks. Tens of thousands of people attended the event. Commentators had various opinions about the 9 May. The Chairwoman of the Saeima's Human Rights Commission, Inara Murniece (AL!-FF/LNIM) believes 9 May is one of the saddest days in Latvia's history and there is nothing to celebrate on the end of the war. Senior Consultant of the parliamentary group AL!-FF/LNIM Janis Iesalnieks believes hundreds of thousands of Latvian residents are hostile to Latvia and therefore, the war is not over. Guntis Belevics (Green Party) stated that those who believe the war is not over yet could use the services of a psychiatric clinic, which also hosts alive Napoleon. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga, Vesti Segodnya 

• Draft amendments forbidding usage of totalitarian symbolic foresee some exceptions
• President of Latvia Andris Berzins and other high officials and war veterans took part in event commemorating the end of WWII
• Interview with an academic and researcher Deniss Hanovs about ethnic relations in Latvia
• Historian Ritvars Jansons: 9 May means beginning of occupation for Latvia

Saeima’s Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee supported the draft amendments to the Law "On the Security of Public Entertainment and Festive Events” forbidding usage of the USSR and Nazi flags, blazons, anthems, uniform and other symbols during the public events. However, the draft amendments contains exceptional cases – usage of such symbols is allowed if it does not aim at glorification or justification of the crimes committed by these regimes. The MP Boriss Cilevics criticizes such amendments as those are confusing in terms of interpreting the exception cases. The draft amendments will pass to the Saeima for the second reading. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

Yesterday, the President of Latvia Andris Berzins, high state officials, MPs and representatives of foreign diplomatic corps took part in event commemorating the end of WWII and its victims. War veterans – Red Army veterans and some Latvian legionnaires also took part in the event. After the event, the President admitted that the process of reconciliation of war veterans develops well and it is good that many of them understand that we all live in one country with one common future. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize prints an interview with an academic and researcher Deniss Hanovs about ethnic relations in Latvia. Mr Hanovs worries about growing instability in the society due to interethnic relations. According to Mr Hanovs, expression of hatred increases in the online space as people show their fears and hate louder and there is danger that it will continue to escalate. Mr Hanovs criticizes the establishment of the Congress of Non-Citizens as it just creates illusions about solution of the problem of non-citizenship. Mr Hanovs criticizes the integration program created under supervision of the ex-Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte calling this program as a document which raises self-confidence of ethnic Latvians rather than aimed at integration of non-Latvians.

Neatkariga prints an interview with historian and substitute director of the Museum of Occupation Ritvars Jansons about the meaning of 9 May or Victory Day to Latvia. According to Mr Jansosns, part of ethnic Latvians will never accept this day as a celebration because it brought occupation to Latvia. Mr Jansons argues about repressions and terror against ethnic Latvians accompanied by Soviet occupation.

 

 

• Vesti Segodnya interviews candidates to the Parliament of Unrepresented

Vesti Segodnya interviews candidates to the Parliament of Unrepresented initiated by the Congress of Non-citizens. According to them, it is important to raise awareness about problem of non-citizenship in Latvia more actively on international level and to find supporters among different organisations and states, as well as among the citizens. It is necessary to abolish all the legal acts and declarations adopted on the basis of the thesis of occupation of Latvia and continuity of Latvian Republic from 1918 to 1991 because it has no foundation in history and international law. The candidates to the Parliament also want to establish a court of unrepresented which will look at the cases concerning ethnic issues, and the ombudsman of unrepresented who would defend the rights of those, whose ethnic rights are violated. In order to safeguard Latvia's sovereignty and ensure its prosperity, the current system of ethnic hierarchy should be abolished. The candidates also want to co-operate closely with local governments and different state institutions especially those which work on education issues. Latvia should grant voting rights to non-citizens in municipal elections, according to 12 recommendations of international organisations. According to the candidates, naturalisation procedure for non-citizens and for immigrants should be different, while the model of Latvian state nation should include ethnic Latvians, Latgalians, Russians and ethnic minorities. The candidates also argue for greater citizen awareness and participation, for the restoration of the real mechanism of direct democracy, as well as for the establishment of a commission of historians, whose aim would be to highlight positive aspects of Latvian history, instead of cultivating the past grievances.

• Newspapers report about the Annual Report 2012 of the Security Police
• Radical nationalists discuss demolition of the Monument to Liberators of Riga from Nazi Invaders

Newspapers report about the Annual Report 2012 of the Security Police (SP). The SP highlights influence of Russian policy aimed at work with Russian speaking residents as it sometimes contradicts Latvian national and security interests. According to the Report, Russia began to pay more attention to work with young people strengthening ties between students from both countries and different organisations. The SP believes that such activities are aimed at educating in young people values and views alien to Latvian ideology and formation of Russian speaking residents loyal towards Russia. The Report also highlights growth of the number of cases on incitement to ethnic hatred on the Internet. According to the SP, the most often incitement to hatred is addressed to ethnic Russians or ethnic Latvians in online discussions on internet news portals regarding such sensitive issues as citizenship, naturalisation, language, history, WWII, ethnic minority rights etc. The SP considers that aggression of the Internet users is used by certain organisations, movements, mass media who are interested in supporting ideological contradictions and ethnic tensions. According to the assessment of the SP, the threat of terrorism in Latvia is low at the moment, as well as in the foreseeable future. At the same time, the SP draws attention to a visit of the representatives of a controversial Muslim organisation “Tabligh Jamaat” to Latvia and points out that their future visits might provoke radicalisation and intolerance in the society.  Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

 

Vesti Segodnya reports about a discussion organised by the radical nationalists’ party “All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM” about the demolition of the Monument to Liberators of Riga from Nazi Invaders. The nationalists believe that the Monument should be demolished and the cleared square should become an entertainment park. At the same time, the nationalists admit that they do not have possibility to demolish the Monument legally, therefore, it is important to prepare the society for such action. And as the first step, the nationalists propose to create an exhibition near the Monument telling about communists’ crimes and repressions.

• Neatkariga prints an interview with the judge of the Court of Justice of the European Union, head of the President’s Constitution’s Rights Committee Egils Levits
• Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis: no dialogue will be possible with the Congress of Non-Citizens if it does not acknowledge the basic principles of Latvian state

Neatkariga prints an interview with the judge of the Court of Justice of the European Union, head of the President’s Constitution’s Rights Committee Egils Levits. Mr Levits believes that ethnic Latvians are the state nation of Latvia and all its residents should understand that Latvia is a national state as well as France, Sweden or Denmark. Mr Levits says that Russian speaking residents in Latvia and Estonia are the only two Russian communities in the world which do not want to accept countries where they live as national states. Mr Levits believes that a part of ex-Soviet citizens painfully perceives the fact that Latvia is not a part of the USSR anymore but is democratic and ethnic Latvian state. According to Mr Levits, people who arrived to Latvia during Soviet times after restoration of Latvia’s Independence were granted very high legal status (status of non-citizens) giving them privileges comparing to foreigners. Mr Levits also considers that the preamble to the Latvia’s Constitutions should contain the milestones of Latvian state with an aim to strengthen state and sense of belonging to the state.

In an interview with Latvijas Avize, commenting the establishment of the Congress of Non-Citizens, the Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis states that no dialogue will be possible with the Congress if it does not acknowledge the principle of continuity of Latvian state. According to Mr Dombrovskis if the Congress supports automatic granting of Latvian citizenship to all non-citizens that means that it does not support basic principles of Latvian state.