• Diena features an article on application of the Section 78 of the Criminal Code which stipulates punishment for incitement and instigation to ethnic or racial hatred
• Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with the leader of radical political organisation Latvian National Democratic Party Jevgenijs Osipovs
• Columnist of Latvijas Avize criticizes a company which employs a woman who is charged for hate speech
• NRA reports on a case when a Roma man was refused a job because of his ethnicity
• Saeima has supported the draft amendments to the Law On State Secrets which stipulate access of the Ombudsman to state secrets

Diena features an article on application of the Section 78 of the Criminal Code which stipulates punishment for incitement and instigation to ethnic or racial hatred. The newspaper compares two cases initiated by the Security Police: one against a neo-Nazi Andris Jordans who has publicly stated that it would be preferable to exterminate Jews and Roma people as ‘non-humans and another case against a 23-year-old woman who placed insulting statement towards Latvia, ethnic Latvians and Latvian legionnaires on an internet forum. The Prosecutor of the Riga Regional Court Ieva Garanca terminated criminal proceedings in the first case arguing that there is a lack of features constituting criminal offence, however, she referred the second case to the court. In an interview with Diena, Ieva Garanca has stated that these two cases are not identical therefore application of the Section 78 differs. The Prosecutor also has stated that cases concerning ethnic and racial hatred are complicated due to the investigation difficulties and lack of court practice. Ieva Garanca considers that liability for less grave crimes could be set in the Code of Administrative Violations. Director of the Human Rights Institute of the University of Latvia Arturs Kucs also considers that implementation of administrative liability could be a solution in the cases when legal acts stipulate severe punishment for violations. However, lawyer of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Ilvija Puce has stated that incitement to ethnic hatred is not administrative violation. According to Ms. Puce, the Section 78 is poorly formulated, therefore, intentions of the offender are hard to prove in practice. Ilvija Puce also believes that community service would be a good punishment for the first-time offenders.

Columnist of

Columnist of Latvijas Avize criticizes a company which employs a woman who is charged with hate speech. As reported, the Prosecutors Office has forwarded to the Riga Regional Court a criminal case against 23-year-old woman who has placed insulting statement towards Latvia, ethnic Latvians and Latvian legionnaires on an internet forum. According to a representative of the company, no decision will be made regarding the accused employee until her guilt is proven.

Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with the leader of radical political organisation Latvian National Democratic Party Jevgenijs Osipovs. Mr. Osipovs believes that despite the fact that the Riga City Council banned Russian March, this event was reported by all mass media and it broke the silence about the problems that the government is unwilling to talk about. Jevgenijs Osipovs also believes that a meeting which was held instead of march proved that the officials were wrong about extremist and radical nature of the event.

NRA reports about a Roma man who was refused employment because of his ethnicity. The man explained that an employer has openly stated to him we do not hire Roma people. According to a representative of the Ombudsmans Office, the Office is ready to defend the Roma man if he submits a complaint. In total, the Ombudsmans Office has received 17 mutual and 1 written complaints since January until 1 September 2007.

The Saeima has supported the draft amendments to the Law “On State Secrets” which stipulate access of the Ombudsman to state secrets. According to

The Saeima has supported the draft amendments to the Law On State Secrets which stipulate access of the Ombudsman to state secrets. According to Diena, the access to state secrets will help the Ombudsman to review all cases comprehensively.

• MP Valerijs Agesins has prepared draft amendments to the Punishment Execution Code which stipulate granting interpreter for prisoners if necessary
• Telegraf reports on a new mathematics manual for first grade
• Latvijas Avize reports that the MPs doubt the usefulness of the merge the Naturalisation Board and the State language proposed by the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins
• Latvijas Avize features an interview with the MEP, member of the political party FF/LNIM Inese Vaidere
• NRA features an interview with the EMP from Latvia Girts Valdis Kristovskis and other EMPs on issues concerning integration and racism in Europe

The MP Valerijs Agesins (the Concord Centre) has prepared draft amendments to the Punishment Execution Code which stipulate granting interpreter for prisoners if necessary. Valerijs Agesins believes that every persons must be granted a chance to defend her/him self even if s/he does not speak Latvian.

The MP Valerijs Agesins (the Concord Centre) has prepared draft amendments to the Punishment Execution Code which stipulate granting interpreter for prisoners if necessary. Valerijs Agesins believes that every persons must be granted a chance to defend her/him self even if s/he does not speak Latvian. Chas

Telegraf reports on a new mathematics manual for first grade. The manual was edited by two mathematics teachers from Russian language schools and is designed to help teachers implementing bilingual programs in minority schools.

Latvijas Avize reports that the MPs doubt the usefulness of the merge of the Naturalisation Board and the State language centre into one institution proposed by the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins. The Head of the Naturalsation Board Eizenija Aldermane also doubts the proposal. Mrs. Aldermane considers that the NB has to remain as a separate institution because it has sufficient workload at the moment and in the future the workload might increase because the guest workers arriving in Latvia today will probably like to naturalize. Mrs. Aldermane also believes that the State Language Centre could be strengthen and developed into full-fledge institution.

Latvijas Avize features an interview with the MEP, member of the political party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM (FF/LNIM) Inese Vaidere. Ms. Vaidere believes that the FF/LNIM has to change its policy so that it would be supported by the majority of ethnic Latvians and which would strengthen ethnic aspect, especially, state language. As reported, according to the latest opinion poll, rating of the FF/LNIM is only 2,9%.

NRA features an interview with the EMP from Latvia Girts Valdis Kristovskis and EMPs from Estonia, the United Kingdom and Ireland on issues concerning integration and racism in Europe. According to Mr. Kristovskis, Latvian residents are suspicious about guest workers because Latvians are afraid that foreigners might endanger them as titular nation. Mr. Kritovskis believes that Latvia has to develop skilful policy at this field for prevention of possible further social conflicts between immigrants and domestic residents. NRA (12.09)

Diena prints an article on religious diversity and tolerance

Diena prints an article by a PhD student in media education of the Catholic University of Lublin (Poland) Ingrida Puce on religious diversity and tolerance. Ingrida Puce considers that prejudices and luck of knowledge in society are the reasons for intolerance. Ms. Puce believes that effective way for promotion of social concord is to get acquainted personally with persons of various religions and to respect them despite personal religious convictions. Ms. Puce also believes that religious differences should not become a ground for harassment.

• Cabinet of Ministers will review a draft Concept of Migration Policy in the Context of Employment
• Chas prints an interview with the Vice-Chairman of the Education Committee of the Riga City Council Viktors Gluhovs on re-organisation of minority schools in Riga
• Latvijas Avize features an interview with a chairman of a conference Role of Latvian Mass Media in Establishment of Democratic Society, academician Juris Dreifelds

Today, the Cabinet of Ministers will review a draft “Concept of Migration Policy in the Context of Employment” prepared by the Ministry of Interior. The Ministry proposes three variants for further development of migration policy: to keep present migration policy without substantial changes; to simplify procedure on granting residency permit for foreign workers; or essentially decrease limits for influx of guest workers into those industries with luck of labour force.

Today, the Cabinet of Ministers will review a draft Concept of Migration Policy in the Context of Employment prepared by the Ministry of Interior. The Ministry proposes three variants for further development of migration policy: to keep present migration policy without substantial changes; to simplify procedure on granting residency permit for foreign workers; or essentially decrease limits for influx of guest workers into those industries with luck of labour force. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Chas prints an interview with the Vice Chairman of the Education Committee of the Riga City Council Viktors Gluhovs (the Concord Centre) on re-organisation of minority schools in Riga. Mr. Gluhovs criticizes national policy concerning re-organisation of school system and believes that it has to be revised. Viktors Gluhovs considers that liquidation of Russian language secondary school Nr.17 (the school was merged with other Russian language school and its premises were given to a Latvian language school) is a result of biased policy concerning minority schools which located in the centre of Riga.

Latvijas Avize features an interview with a chairman of a conference Role of Latvian Mass Media in Establishment of Democratic Society organised by the World Federation of Free Latvians in Riga, academician Juris Dreifelds. Mr. Dreifelds considers that Latvian language proficiency of Russian speakers in Latvia has improved after the reform of minority schools, however, their desire to speak Latvian has decreased. Juris Dreifelds believes: Latvia de facto is two-community state. Despite the fact that 70% of students study in Latvian language schools, Latvians are on defensive positions because ethnic Latvians compose only 59% of all residents.

• Around 150 persons have taken part in a meeting Russian Standing
• Discussion on the role of Russian language mass media in Latvia Parallel Information Spaces in Latvia – Latvian and Russian Language or Two Worlds in One Country
• Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with a psychotherapist on the reasons why Russian speaking children turn to public helpline much rarer than Latvian speaking children

On 8 September, around 150 persons have taken part in a meeting “Russian Standing” in the centre of Riga. As reported, organisers initially planned to hold “Russian March”, however the march was forbidden by the Riga City Council due to the security reasons. The main slogans of the meeting were aimed at granting official status to Russian language and granting citizenship for all non-citizens. Columnist of

On 8 September, around 150 persons have taken part in a meeting Russian Standing in the centre of Riga. As reported, organisers initially planned to hold Russian March, however the march was forbidden by the Riga City Council due to the security reasons. The main slogans of the meeting were aimed at granting official status to Russian language and granting citizenship for all non-citizens. Columnist of Chas argued that low attendance of the meeting shows that Russian nationalism is not popular in society. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf, Diena, Latvijas Avize, NRA

On 8 September, a discussion on the role of Russian language mass media in Latvia “Parallel Information Spaces in Latvia – Latvian and Russian Language or Two Worlds in One Country” was held in the framework of a conference “Role of Latvian Mass Media in Establishment of Democratic Society” in Riga. Researcher of the Centre for Public Policy “Providus” Marija Golubeva has reported on first results of a research on intolerant statements in mass media towards non-Latvians, non-citizens, sexual minorities, NGOs, Roma people, new immigrants or other ethnic minority groups. According to the results, newspaper

On 8 September, a discussion on the role of Russian language mass media in Latvia Parallel Information Spaces in Latvia – Latvian and Russian Language or Two Worlds in One Country was held in the framework of a conference Role of Latvian Mass Media in Establishment of Democratic Society in Riga. Researcher of the Centre for Public Policy Providus Marija Golubeva has reported on first results of a research on intolerant statements in mass media towards non-Latvians, non-citizens, sexual minorities, NGOs, Roma people, new immigrants or other ethnic minority groups. According to the results, newspaper Vesti Segodnya most often tries to create an impression that situation of non-citizens and non-Latvians in Latvia is critical by quoting negative statements made by radical Latvian politicians towards these groups of residents. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya

According to

According to Vesti Segodnya, 93% of children who turn for psychiatric help using public children helpline are Latvian speakers, while only 3% are Russian speakers. The newspaper prints an interview with a psychotherapist Tatjana Egorova on possible reasons for such difference. Ms. Jegorova considers that Russian speaking children might have troubles of misunderstanding talking to a specialist whose native language is other than their due to the different kind perception formed by linguistic specificity. The psychotherapist considers that in overall Russians turn for psychiatric help rarer than Latvians because their mentality is more open and this helps to solve problems by talking to friends or family members.