• Vesti Segodnya: draft amendments to the Law on Meetings, Demonstrations and Pickets to restrict the rights of Russians
• Minister of Education comments on the establishment of the working group dealing with the use of languages in private universities
• Latvian non-citizens interested in provisions of the EU directive on the status of EU permanent residents
• Boriss Tsilevich on the use of languages in the field of health care
• Alleged bribery of a Naturalisation Board staff
• About 40 people protest against Russophobia in Latvia

Vesti Segodnya comments on the draft law On Meetings, Demonstrations and Pickets passed at first reading by the Saeima yesterday. The draft amendments provide more restrictions in organising pickets and meetings. The newspaper states that the draft amendments were developed aiming at restriction of freedom of expression of Russians and their organisations.

Yesterday the Parliamentary group of the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia received the response by the Minister of Education Ina Druviete regarding the establishment of the working group aimed at development regulations on the use of the state language in private universities. The Minister notes that higher education should be multilingual and in EU countries private universities are under the same regulations as public universities are. She refers to examples of Hungary and the Netherlands.  

Yesterday the Parliamentary group of the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia received the response by the Minister of Education Ina Druviete regarding the establishment of the working group aimed at development regulations on the use of the state language in private universities. The Minister notes that higher education should be multilingual and in EU countries private universities are under the same regulations as public universities are. She refers to examples of Hungary and the Netherlands.

Chas prints a comprehensive article by MP Boris Tsilevich about the use of languages in the field of health care. He provides practices of other countries and concludes that the requirement that doctors should be proficient in Latvian is not disputable, however, Latvian legislation does not provide that doctors and nurses should speak also other languages, for instance, Russian, which is the native language of a big part of society.

Netakariga reports on the growing interest of Latvian non-citizens about the EU Directive 2003/109/EC on the status of EU permanent residents. Latvia has started transposition of the directive by drafting a new law on the status of EU permanent citizen and developing amendments to the Law on Immigration. According to the EU Directive as of 2006 Latvian non-citizens will acquire a new status – permanent resident of the EU. The officials of the Office of Migration and Citizenship Affairs and the Information Centre of the European Union claim that there is a growing number of people who want to know when the directive comes into force in Latvia and when they could travel to EU countries without visa. However, the officials stress that the status of a permanent EU resident will not be granted automatically, the applicant will have to demonstrate a intermediate state language skills.

The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau detained a Naturalisation Board’s staff member for alleged bribery of LVL 1000 (about EUR 1,400). The official received the bribe for ensuring a successful result of naturalisation tests of an naturalisation applicant.

The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau detained a Naturalisation Boards staff member for alleged bribery of LVL 1000 (about EUR 1,400). The official received the bribe for ensuring a successful result of naturalisation tests of an naturalisation applicant. Latvijas Avize, Telegraf

Yesterday about 40 members of radical Russian organisations picketed in the centre of Riga protesting against Russophobia and rebirth of Nazism. After an hour they headed to the Monument to Soviet Liberators where several hundred people celebrated the liberation of the capital Riga from Nazi.

Yesterday about 40 members of radical Russian organisations picketed in the centre of Riga protesting against Russophobia and rebirth of Nazism. After an hour they headed to the Monument to Soviet Liberators where several hundred people celebrated the liberation of the capital Riga from Nazi. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

• Situation of the Latvian language
• Record number of naturalised people in Latvia
• Critical comments on the statements by the Integration Minister

The official newspaper

The official newspaper Latvijas Vestnesis prints a comprehensive article about the situation concerning the Latvian language by Dr.philol. Dzintra Hirsha, former head of the State Language Centre. Dzintra Hisrsha argues despite the adopted legal norms the situation concerning use of Latvian is not stable and status of the state language is not secure. She states that after 14 years of independence the importance of the Russian language in Latvia is still very high. She believes that Russian politicians and media misinforms their audiences about the language policy in Latvia, thus escalating confrontation between Latvians and Russians.

Diena reports on the huge number of naturalised persons. Within first nine months of 2005, 16,4000 people have acquired Latvian citizenship through naturalisation – the record high number since naturalisation was launched. Latvijas Avize, Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Chas prints critical comments on the statements made by the Integration Minister Ainars Latkovskis in his recent interview with Vesti Segodnya (6 October).

• Minister of Justice- proposals about stopping naturalisation are irresponsible
• Head of the National TV and Radio Council accounts to the Saeima Integration Sub-committee
• Interview with the representative of the Berezovskis Charity Foundation in Latvia

The Minister of Justice Solvita Aboltina stated that the proposal of FF/LNIM to stop naturalisation is irresponsible.

The Minister of Justice Solvita Aboltina stated that the proposal of FF/LNIM to stop naturalisation is irresponsible. Vesti Segodnya

The Head of the National TV and Radio Council Aivars Berkis was called to the Saeima’s Integration Sub-committee to report on the situation regarding broadcasting for national minorities in Latvia. Although there are only 3 radio stations which broadcast only in a foreign language, Aivars Berkis expressed concern about the lack of radio stations which broadcast in the state language in some regions and that broadcasts in Russian are produced in Russia ‘thus turning listeners into Russia’s citizens.’

The Head of the National TV and Radio Council Aivars Berkis was called to the Saeimas Integration Sub-committee to report on the situation regarding broadcasting for national minorities in Latvia. Although there are only 3 radio stations which broadcast only in a foreign language, Aivars Berkis expressed concern about the lack of radio stations which broadcast in the state language in some regions and that broadcasts in Russian are produced in Russia ‘thus turning listeners into Russias citizens. Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize interviews Aleks Goldfarb, vice president of the branch of the Russians entrepreneur Boriss Berezovskis charity foundation in Latvia. The foundation has been operating in Latvia for three years. Aleks Goldfarb argues that Moscow uses the local Russian community to destabilise the situation in Latvia. Regarding the activities of the Foundation, Aleks Goldfarb says that their aim is to support activities which foster development of culture and integration of Russians into the Latvian society, for instance, funding Latvian language courses for people with low income. He concludes that Russians are satisfied with the life in Latvia.

• Russian students meet with the Human Rights Commissioner of the CoE
• National Human Rights Office without leadership till the adoption of the Ombudsman Law
• Russian-language newspapers provide detailed information on the conference Russian-speakers in Europe

Chas and Vesti Segodnya report on the meeting of three Russian students from Latvia with the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Alvaro Gil-Robles in Strasbourg. The main discussion topics were mass non-citizenship, the minority education reform and restrictions in the rights of non-citizens to participate in municipal elections.

The coalition parties agreed to halt searching for a candidate for post of the director of the Latvian National Human Rights Office till the Law on Ombudsman is adopted.

The coalition parties agreed to halt searching for a candidate for post of the director of the Latvian National Human Rights Office till the Law on Ombudsman is adopted. Diena

Chas and Vesti Segodnya print a very comprehensive article on the conference Russian-speakers in the EU which took place in Estonia last weekend.

 

• NGO presents the shadow report on the human dimension situation in Latvia
• Developments regarding state language inspections at the National Railway
• About relations between Russians and Latvians
• OKROL will hold its meeting on the weekend in Liepaja

Vesti Segodnya reports on the alternative report about the situation of minorities in Latvia developed by the NGO Latvian Human Rights Committee for the OSCE Human Dimension meeting in Warsaw. The report argues that Latvia is a two-community country. It highlights the mass non-citizenship in Latvia and difficulties of Russian-speakers to organise protest meetings and actions to express their views.

Chas reports on the developments regarding state language inspections in the National Railway Company. As reported, left-wing MPs from the Peoples Harmony Party received a number of complaints from the staff of the National Railway Company about illegitimate actions of state language inspectors, in particular, the examination of real language skills of people who have already passed the state language examinations and have the state language certificate. The Peoples Harmony Party sent another letter to the Minister of Justice asking to clarify the situation.

Neatkariga talks to the Head of the Baltic Institute of Strategic Research Igors Zlotnikovs about the situation regarding integration of society in Latvia. He believes that the elite of both communities is responsible for the future and the situation in the country. He argues that the Russian community as human resources has a big potential which has not been appreciated till now. He believes that the main issues in Latvian Russian relations is the over-focus of Latvians on the dramatic aspects of their history, while those Russians who came to Latvia during the Soviet occupation have been under very heavy sovietisation policy.

The United Congress of the Russian Community in Latvia (OKROL in its Russian acronym) will hold its congress on 15 October in Liepaja. Latvijas Avize

The United Congress of the Russian Community in Latvia (OKROL in its Russian acronym) will hold its congress on 15 October in Liepaja. Latvijas Avize