• Ombudsman Romans Apsitis appealed to the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers calling to widen rights of non-citizens
• Saeima refused proposal to conduct re-qualification courses for unemployed persons also in Russian language
• Sarmite Elerte: Ethnic Latvians and ethnic Russians together should be afraid of Putins Russia

The Ombudsman Romans Apsitis appealed to the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers calling to widen rights of non-citizens. Following the report of the Amnesty International which criticised the fact that citizens of other EU countries are granted more rights in Latvia than non-citizens who have closer ties with the country, the Ombudsman recommended to revise amount of rights granted to non-citizens in cases when certain rights are granted to the EU citizens.

The Ombudsman Romans Apsitis appealed to the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers calling to widen rights of non-citizens. Following the report of the Amnesty International which criticised the fact that citizens of other EU countries are granted more rights in Latvia than non-citizens who have closer ties with the country, the Ombudsman recommended to revise amount of rights granted to non-citizens in cases when certain rights are granted to the EU citizens. Chas

Yesterday, the Saeima refused proposal of the faction For Human Rights in United Latvia to identify persons with insufficient Latvian language proficiency as a separate risk group and to conduct re-qualification courses for unemployed persons also in Russian language.

Yesterday, the Saeima refused proposal of the faction For Human Rights in United Latvia to identify persons with insufficient Latvian language proficiency as a separate risk group and to conduct re-qualification courses for unemployed persons also in Russian language. Chas

“Ethnic Latvians should not be afraid of ethnic Russians living in Latvia, but together with Russians they should be afraid or at least wary of Putin’s Russia and pro-Moscow forces” - stated former editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper

Ethnic Latvians should not be afraid of ethnic Russians living in Latvia, but together with Russians they should be afraid or at least wary of Putins Russia and pro-Moscow forces - stated former editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Diena, head of the National Cultural Council Sarmite Elerte in an interview with Latvijas Avize.

• Vesti Segodnya interviews political scientist Juris Rozenvalds about ethnic division in Latvian politics
• Former Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires criticize meeting of the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers with veterans of 130th Latvian Rifleman Corps
• Ambassador the Russian Federation to Latvia Aleksandr Veshnyakov met with representatives of Russian NGOs in Daugavpils

Vesti Segodnya interviews political scientist Juris Rozenvalds about ethnic division in Latvian politics. According to Mr. Rozenvalds, right wing parties are considered as ethnic Latvian, while left-wing parties - as ethnic Russian despite the fact that party programs of the so-called right and left parties in many instances do not correspond to traditional definitions of right and left. Latvian residents vote for one or other party without looking into social economic programs of the parties. Mr. Rozenvalds also believes that the outcome of the next Saeima elections will depend on ability of ethnic Russian Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs to take diplomatic approach and maintain the balance of interests of both ethnic communities.

Former Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires criticize meeting of the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers with two veterans of 130th Latvian Rifleman Corps and Latvian Red partisans, which during the WWII fought against the Nazis. The legionnaires also want to meet with the President in order to explain their view about the Second World War.

Former Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires criticize meeting of the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers with two veterans of 130th Latvian Rifleman Corps and Latvian Red partisans, which during the WWII fought against the Nazis. The legionnaires also want to meet with the President in order to explain their view about the Second World War. Latvijas Avize

Yesterday, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Latvia Aleksandr Veshnyakov met with representatives of Russian NGOs in Daugavpils. The NGOs asked for financial support from Russia to help to maintain their activities.

Yesterday, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Latvia Aleksandr Veshnyakov met with representatives of Russian NGOs in Daugavpils. The NGOs asked for financial support from Russia to help to maintain their activities. Chas

• MEP from Latvia Tatjana Zdanoka duscussed with the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Cyril problems and achievements of Russian residents living in the EU
• Telegraf features an interview with the new U.S. Ambassador to Latvia Judith Garber
• Telegraf prints an article about closure of schools in Latvia

The MEP from Latvia Tatjana Zdanoka met with the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Cyril in order to discuss problems and achievements of Russian residents living in the EU.  The Patriarch positively evaluated increased number of Russians among authorities in European countries and supported activities of NGOs protecting rights of Russian speaking residents.

The MEP from Latvia Tatjana Zdanoka met with the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Cyril in order to discuss problems and achievements of Russian residents living in the EU. The Patriarch positively evaluated increased number of Russians among authorities in European countries and supported activities of NGOs protecting rights of Russian speaking residents. Chas

Telegraf features an interview with the new U.S. Ambassador to Latvia Judith Garber. Mrs. Garber believes that work of Latvian government on integration of various minorities in the society was excellent. According to the Ambassador, the United States will continue to support Latvia in issues integration and promotion of tolerance.

Telegraf prints an article about closure of schools in Latvia. The Ministry of Education coordinated closure of 36 schools in Latvia starting with 1 September 2009. 12 of those schools are with Russian language of instructions. According to the MP Jakovs Pliners (FHRUL), the most painful is closure of Russian schools in the province because education in Russian language in Latvian regions is almost degenerated.

 

• Hospital requested a pregnant women asylum seeker to provide a letter of warranty that she will pay for puerperal help
• Two right wing politicians criticize the fact that ice hockey players of the club Rigas Dinamo wore playsuits with players names written in Russian
• State Border Guard Service detained three Latvian citizens for illegal transportation of foreign citizens over Latvian border
• Monitoring: ethnic non-Latvians and non-citizens are the groups most often targeted by exclusionary rhetoric of MPs
• Senate of the Supreme Court submitted an application to the Constitutional Court requesting abolition of time limitation for registration of Latvian citizens living abroad

NRA reports about a case when a pregnant woman - asylum seeker - one month before the delivery was asked by a hospital to provide a letter of warranty that she will pay for puerperal help or the hospital will not accept her. Thanks to involvement of an NGO Shelter Save Home the hospital employees were informed that free puerperal help should be granted to the asylum seekers as well as first aid.

Two right wing politicians Girts Valdis Kristovskis (Civic Union) and Dzintras Abikis (FF/LNIM) criticize the fact that ice hockey players of the club Riga’s “Dinamo” wore playsuits with their names written in Russian while playing a friendly match. Mr. Abikis stated: “I could not watch the game because I was shocked that 20 years after restoration of Latvian independence names of sportsmen in Riga are written in Russian language.” Mr. Kristovkis stated that this way, the management of “Dinamo” has insulted Latvian residents. In response, the management of Riga’s “Dinamo” explained that the players wore the same T-shorts which they usually wear when playing in Russia’s Continental Hockey League and this time, these T-shirts helped to distinguish players of “Dinamo” from the opposing team. 

Two right wing politicians Girts Valdis Kristovskis (Civic Union) and Dzintras Abikis (FF/LNIM) criticize the fact that ice hockey players of the club Rigas Dinamo wore playsuits with their names written in Russian while playing a friendly match. Mr. Abikis stated: I could not watch the game because I was shocked that 20 years after restoration of Latvian independence names of sportsmen in Riga are written in Russian language. Mr. Kristovkis stated that this way, the management of Dinamo has insulted Latvian residents. In response, the management of Rigas Dinamo explained that the players wore the same T-shorts which they usually wear when playing in Russias Continental Hockey League and this time, these T-shirts helped to distinguish players of Dinamo from the opposing team. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

The State Border Guard Service detained three Latvian citizens for illegal transportation of foreign citizens over Latvian border. The persons were detained when transporting two Pakistanis and two Bangladeshis to the border. The foreigners were placed in the Olaine camp for illegal immigrants.

The State Border Guard Service detained three Latvian citizens for illegal transportation of foreign citizens over Latvian border. The persons were detained when transporting two Pakistanis and two Bangladeshis to the border. The foreigners were placed in the Olaine camp for illegal immigrants. Vesti Segodnya

According to the monitoring of speeches of MPs conducted by the Centre for Public Policy “Providus”, ethnic non-Latvians and non-citizens are the groups most often targeted by exclusionary rhetoric of MPs. The speeches by deputies of the faction For Human Rights in United Latvia are the most inclusive and include wide range of groups such as minorities, while speeches of deputies of the For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM are the most exclusionary.

According to the monitoring of speeches of MPs conducted by the Centre for Public Policy Providus, ethnic non-Latvians and non-citizens are the groups most often targeted by exclusionary rhetoric of MPs. The speeches by deputies of the faction For Human Rights in United Latvia are the most inclusive and include wide range of groups such as minorities, while speeches of deputies of the For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM are the most exclusionary. Latvijas Avize

The Senate of the Supreme Court decided to submit application to the Constitutional Court of Latvia requesting abolition of time limitation for registration of Latvian citizenship of descendants of Latvian citizens living abroad and willing to keep double citizenship. Legislation currently in force envisages that those Latvian citizens who left Latvia as refugees or were deported during Soviet times and their descendants can register as Latvian citizens. Those who registered before the deadline of 1 July 1995 were allowed to keep their present (foreign) citizenship, while those who register after the deadline have to denounce their citizenship of a foreign country. The Senate of the Supreme Court took the decision because of a court case of a Latvian family which emigrated from Latvia during the Soviet times and currently holds both German and Latvian citizenship, yet have to struggle to secure the right to Latvian citizenship to their child.

The Senate of the Supreme Court decided to submit application to the Constitutional Court of Latvia requesting abolition of time limitation for registration of Latvian citizenship of descendants of Latvian citizens living abroad and willing to keep double citizenship. Legislation currently in force envisages that those Latvian citizens who left Latvia as refugees or were deported during Soviet times and their descendants can register as Latvian citizens. Those who registered before the deadline of 1 July 1995 were allowed to keep their present (foreign) citizenship, while those who register after the deadline have to denounce their citizenship of a foreign country. The Senate of the Supreme Court took the decision because of a court case of a Latvian family which emigrated from Latvia during the Soviet times and currently holds both German and Latvian citizenship, yet have to struggle to secure the right to Latvian citizenship to their child. Latvijas Avize

• Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Cyril stated that Russians leaving abroad should preserve their identity and resist assimilation
• Most popular party in August - the Concord Centre

The Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Cyril stated that Russians leaving abroad should resist assimilation, and preserve their identity and maintain their culture, language and beliefs. The Patriarch believes that people of Russians culture should integrate in their host societies and should not feel estranged.

The Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Cyril stated that Russians leaving abroad should resist assimilation, and preserve their identity and maintain their culture, language and beliefs. The Patriarch believes that people of Russians culture should integrate in their host societies and should not feel estranged. Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

According to the latest public opinion survey held by “Latvijas Fakti”, the most popular party in Latvia in August is the Concord Centre – 14,7% of residents support it. The New Era and the Civil Union is supported by 7,2% and 5% accordingly. Other parties are supported by less than 5% of respondents. 25,5% of respondents are sceptical about political processes and do not support any party, while 28% do not know whom to support.

According to the latest public opinion survey held by Latvijas Fakti, the most popular party in Latvia in August is the Concord Centre – 14,7% of residents support it. The New Era and the Civil Union is supported by 7,2% and 5% accordingly. Other parties are supported by less than 5% of respondents. 25,5% of respondents are sceptical about political processes and do not support any party, while 28% do not know whom to support. Diena