• Chas prints opinion of representatives of Roma and Jewish communities on a decision of the Prosecutor of the Riga Regional Court to terminate a criminal proceeding against a neo-Nazi Andris Jordans
• Article by the MPs Valerijs Buhvalovs and Jakovs Pliners on issues concerning Russian language schools in Latvia
• Article by the head of the Latvian Association in Support of Russian Language Schools Igors Pimenovs on the reasons why non-citizens do not naturalise

Chas prints opinion of representatives of Roma and Jewish communities on a decision of the Prosecutor of the Riga Regional Court Ieva Garanca to terminate a criminal proceeding against a neo-Nazi Andris Jordans who has stated at public discussion that Jews and Roma people are ‘non-humans and it would be preferable to exterminate them. An independent expert on issues concerning Latvian Roma Vanda Zamicka-Bergendal has criticized the decision of the Prosecutors Office and arguments for such decision. According to Ms. Zamicka-Bergendal, crime of Andris Jordans is clear because he has made the statements deliberately in front of several witnesses and video cameras. Ms. Zamicka-Bergendal has stated that racial statements towards Roma are not rare in Latvia and many Roma face those. Vice president of the World Roma Union Normunds Rudevics also has criticized the decision of the Prosecutors Office and stated that such statements obviously violate human rights. Chairman of the Council of Jewish Communities of Latvia Arkadijs Suharenko has stated Jews are concerned about the lack of reaction from official bodies on this incident and noted that unless the case is solved in Latvia it will be forwarded to international structures.

Vesti Segodnyaprints an article by the MPs Valerijs Buhvalovs and Jakovs Pliners (both from the FHRUL) on issues concerning Russian language schools in Latvia. According to the authors of the article, Russian education is the only way to preserve Russian culture. The authors believe that Russian language schools in Latvia could be preserved only by activities of teachers, parents and senior pupils who are willing to preserve the schools.

Vesti Segodnyaprints an article by the head of the Latvian Association in Support of Russian Language Schools Igors Pimenovs on the reasons why non-citizens do not naturalise. Mr. Pimenovs believes that people are indifferent towards receiving citizenship due to psychological reasons. According to Mr. Pimenovs, officials demonstrate mistrust towards Latvian non-citizens by applying to them equal naturalisation requirements as for foreigners.

• State Language Inspection has issued 425 administrative protocols on violation of the State Language Law imposing various fines during eight months of 2007

According to

According to Latvijas Avize, the State Language Inspection has issued 425 administrative protocols on violation of the State Language Law imposing various fines ranging from LVL 10 to 100 (EUR 14 - 142) during eight months of 2007. The Inspection has issued 1,396 acts on preventive inspections and warnings and conducted 1,185 preventive inspections when inspectors gave only oral instructions on how to comply with the State Language Law.

• Newspapers report on a visit of the Special Reporter of the United Nations Organisations on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance Doudou Diene to Latvia
• FF/LNIM criticizes statements concerning non-citizens made by the President of the PACE Rene van der Linden
• Chas and Vesti Segodnya report on results of an independent research on education quality in Russian language schools
• Chas continues to report on options available to those people with non-Latvian names who want to keep the original spelling in official documents

Newspapers report on a visit of the Special Reporter of the United Nations Organisations on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance Doudou Diene to Latvia. After four-day visit and meeting with state officials and NGOs’ representatives, Mr. Diene has criticized Latvia on the following issues: tendency of the state officials to deny existence of any kind of discrimination in the country; concept of citizenship in legal acts, particularly, criteria for receiving citizenship are discriminating ethnic minorities; realisation of anti-discrimination legal norms in courts, police and other structures; and interaction between state structures and ethnic communities, mainly, Roma community and new emigrants from Asia and Africa. Doudou Diene has given six specific recommendations to Latvian government: to demonstrate political will to acknowledge existence of discrimination in the country and to eliminate it; to amend Latvian legislation, covering all kinds of discrimination; following an example of the United Kingdom, to establish a body independent from the government to  provide help to discrimination victims and investigate discrimination cases; for reduction of large number of non-citizens, to ease naturalisation requirements, automatically granting citizenship to all children who were born in Latvia after 1991 and to elder people who became residents of Latvia due to the historical circumstances; and to grant non-citizens voting rights in municipal elections.

Newspapers report on a visit of the Special Reporter of the United Nations Organisations on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance Doudou Diene to Latvia. After four-day visit and meeting with state officials and NGOs representatives, Mr. Diene has criticized Latvia on the following issues: tendency of the state officials to deny existence of any kind of discrimination in the country; concept of citizenship in legal acts, particularly, criteria for receiving citizenship are discriminating ethnic minorities; realisation of anti-discrimination legal norms in courts, police and other structures; and interaction between state structures and ethnic communities, mainly, Roma community and new emigrants from Asia and Africa. Doudou Diene has given six specific recommendations to Latvian government: to demonstrate political will to acknowledge existence of discrimination in the country and to eliminate it; to amend Latvian legislation, covering all kinds of discrimination; following an example of the United Kingdom, to establish a body independent from the government to provide help to discrimination victims and investigate discrimination cases; for reduction of large number of non-citizens, to ease naturalisation requirements, automatically granting citizenship to all children who were born in Latvia after 1991 and to elder people who became residents of Latvia due to the historical circumstances; and to grant non-citizens voting rights in municipal elections. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

The political party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM (FF/LNIM) criticizes statements concerning non-citizens made by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Rene van der Linden. As reported, Mr. van der Linden has stated that Latvian non-citizens must be granted voting rights in municipal elections. FF/LNIM considers that statements of Rene van der Linden are unacceptable because it is interference into Latvian internal affairs.

The political party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM (FF/LNIM) criticizes statements concerning non-citizens made by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Rene van der Linden. As reported, Mr. van der Linden has stated that Latvian non-citizens must be granted voting rights in municipal elections. FF/LNIM considers that statements of Rene van der Linden are unacceptable because it is interference into Latvian internal affairs. Latvijas Avize, Diena

Chas and Vesti Segodnya report on results of an independent research on education quality conducted by two graduates of Russian-language school, members of an NGO Association of Russian Culture, Education and Science. According to the authors, the research reflects changes in education quality in Russian language schools after implementation of minority school reform in 2004. The authors have compared changes in difference between average results of Russian language and Latvian language schools graduates in three kinds of centralised exams – mathematics, English and history during 2005-2007. According to the results, education quality in Russian language schools has dropped considerably in mathematics and history. The authors are planning to present the research to the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Thomas Hammarberg.

Chas continues to report on options available to those people with non-Latvian names who want to keep the original spelling in official documents. One of the initiators of a movement Return Your Names, MP Nils Usakovs (the Concord Centre) in an interview with the newspaper has stated that the main goal of the action is to achieve that original spelling of the names would be written in passports on the first page besides Latvianised name spelling.

• President of the PACE Rene van der Linden gives Latvian government recommendations concerning discrimination and non-citizenship

The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Rene van der Linden during his official visit to Latvia has stated that the Council of Europe has no exceptions for Latvia regarding policy on anti-discrimination of ethnic minorities. Therefore, Mr. van der Linden has recommended Latvia to decrease number of non-citizens by granting citizenship to all new born children automatically with an exception when parents refuse it, and to relieve naturalisation for elder people. Rene van der Linden also has stated that Latvia has to ratify 12

The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Rene van der Linden during his official visit to Latvia has stated that the Council of Europe has no exceptions for Latvia regarding policy on anti-discrimination of ethnic minorities. Therefore, Mr. van der Linden has recommended Latvia to decrease number of non-citizens by granting citizenship to all new born children automatically with an exception when parents refuse it, and to relieve naturalisation for elder people. Rene van der Linden also has stated that Latvia has to ratify 12th Protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights which prohibits any kinds of discrimination and to grant non-citizens voting rights in municipal elections. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf, Diena

• Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutors Office of the Riga Regional Court Edgars Berzins upheld the decision of Ieva Garanca to terminate criminal proceedings against a neo-Nazi Andris Jordans
• European Court of Human Rights has launched a public hearing of a case of former ‘Red Partisan Vasilijs Kononovs against Latvia
• Special Reporter of the United Nations Organisations on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance Doudou Diene has arrived to Latvia
• Kulturas Diena features an interview with Islamic reformist Irshad Manji

The Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Riga Regional Court Edgars Berzins has refused an appeal submitted by the members of the Riga City Council Vladislavs Rafalskis (representing political party For Human Rights in United Latvia) and Viktors Gluhovs (representing political party the Concord Centre) on a decision of the Prosecutor of the Riga Regional Court Ieva Garanca to terminate criminal proceedings against a neo-Nazi Andris Jordans.

The Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutors Office of the Riga Regional Court Edgars Berzins has refused an appeal submitted by the members of the Riga City Council Vladislavs Rafalskis (representing political party For Human Rights in United Latvia) and Viktors Gluhovs (representing political party the Concord Centre) on a decision of the Prosecutor of the Riga Regional Court Ieva Garanca to terminate criminal proceedings against a neo-Nazi Andris Jordans. Mr. Berzins has ruled that the decision of Ieva Garanca was correct and agreed that statements of Andris Jordans were an expression of freedom of speech protected by the Latvian Constitution and by the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. As reported, Andris Jordans has publicly stated that Jews and Roma people are ‘non-humans and it would be preferable to exterminate them. The deputies are planning to appeal the decision in the General Persecutors Office and if the decision will be upheld again, to turn to the EU structures and international organisations.

Newspapers report that yesterday, the European Court of Human Rights has launched a public hearing of a case of former ‘Red Partisan’ Vasilijs Kononovs against Latvia. In 2004, The Supreme Court of Latvia has found guilty Vasilijs Kononovs of committing war crimes in 1944. The court sentenced him to 1 year and 8 months imprisonment, which was equivalent to the time he has already spent in prison during the pre-trial investigation. 84-years-old Vasilijs Kononovs complains that he was sentenced for offences which were not unlawful during the time they were made. Mr. Kononovs argues that the characterisation of his acts by the Latvian courts was based on an erroneous assumption that Latvia was at the time occupied by the USSR and that he was a representative of the occupation forces. He also complains about the length and unfairness of his trial and that his detention pending trial harmed his state of health.

Newspapers report that yesterday, the European Court of Human Rights has launched a public hearing of a case of former ‘Red Partisan Vasilijs Kononovs against Latvia. In 2004, The Supreme Court of Latvia has found guilty Vasilijs Kononovs of committing war crimes in 1944. The court sentenced him to 1 year and 8 months imprisonment, which was equivalent to the time he has already spent in prison during the pre-trial investigation. 84-years-old Vasilijs Kononovs complains that he was sentenced for offences which were not unlawful during the time they were made. Mr. Kononovs argues that the characterisation of his acts by the Latvian courts was based on an erroneous assumption that Latvia was at the time occupied by the USSR and that he was a representative of the occupation forces. He also complains about the length and unfairness of his trial and that his detention pending trial harmed his state of health. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Diena

Telegraf reports that the Special Reporter of the United Nations Organisations on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance Doudou Diene has arrived to Latvia with an official visit. The aim of the visit is to get acquainted with Latvian integration policy, observation of rights of ethnic minorities and combating intolerance.

Kulturas Diena features an interview with Islamic reformist Irshad Manji who recently has visited Latvia. Ms. Manji talks on issues concerning reformation of orthodox and patriarchal Islam.