• One more person punished for incitement to ethnic hatred online
• Interview with Igors Kuzmuks whose organisation for eleven years organises free-of-charge Latvian language courses
• President of Latvia Andris Berzins: parents should have the free choice to decide to which kindergarten their child should go

The Court sentenced one more person to one year of suspended imprisonments and one year of probation period for incitement to ethnic hatred. The convicted person published his comments to a news story on one of the local Internet portals comparing Latvia with fascist state and insulting ethnic Latvians. As reported last week, the court sentenced another person to seven months of suspended imprisonment and seven months of probation period for justification of crimes against humanity and instigation of ethnic hatred online. Diena, Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya interviews Igors Kuzmuks whose organisation “Prata Speks” for eleven years have organised free-of-charge Latvian language courses. According to Mr Kuzmuks, these courses are mainly aimed at preparation of non-citizens for naturalisation tests. Mr Kuzmuks positively evaluates that some local governments also began to provide free-of-charge Latvian language courses for residents. Mr Kuzmuks also criticizes the government for lack of political will to fund such courses and explains it by the fact that the governing parties are not interested in increasing amount of new-citizens because those most likely will not vote for them.

The President of Latvia Andris Berzins in an interview with Vesti Segodnya and Telegraf commenting recently adopted draft amendments to the Citizenship Law, says that there are still a lot of issues that needs to be solved and it is important that the state should somehow help people who really want to become Latvian citizens. Regarding the proposal of the nationalists about transition of all municipal kindergartens into Latvian language only, the President says that the parents should have the free choice to decide to which kindergarten their child should go – Latvian or Russian or maybe English language.

 

• State Language Centre does not allow the translation of the displays at the regional train stations into foreign language
• Latvijas Avize criticizes the Annual Report of the Amnesty International about situation in Latvia

The State Language Centre (SLC) does not allow the railway passengers transportation company to write translated words in English on the displays at the regional train stations of the two popular tourist destinations. The transportation company wanted to translate such words as “departure”, “route”, “platform”, “number”, “arrival” and write those with small letters in English under Latvian titles. The SLC argues that the law forbids the state companies to put titles in foreign languages because those endanger Latvian language. The SLC suggests two options how to “help” tourists - to indicate a phone number of information service for tourists where they can call and ask some information and the second is to issue booklets for tourists with information in their language. However, such booklets cannot be put at public places because the legal provisions do not allow it for the state companies and institutions, thus those can be given to clients only on request. Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize reports about the Annual Report of the Amnesty International which mentionsLatvia among the countries which violate human rights. The Amnesty International Report criticizes situation with large scale non-citizenship inLatvia saying that the stateless status deepens poverty and isolation of these people. Commenting the Report, the Ombudsman Juris Jansons stated that from the legal aspect the non-citizens are guaranteed the same social and economic rights as the citizens and the only difference is that non-citizens lack civil and political rights. The Ombudsman believes that a part of non-citizens does not want to receive Latvian citizenship as it would limit their social benefits granted by other countries, for instanceRussia. According to the Ombudsman, citizenship is not a gift – it can be whether inherited or granted through naturalisation. Head of the Saeima’s Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee, MP Inara Murniece (radical nationalists’ union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM) also criticized the Report saying that human rights situation in Latvia is good and it is strange to hear that Latvia is being reproached for violation of human rights. Mrs Murniece believes the report is biased, manipulative and blackens Latvia. 

• Raivis Dzintars asks the security bodies to check whether the activities of the Congress of non-citizens are an attempt of coup d'etat

Leader of the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM Raivis Dzintars asks the Security Police and the Constitution’s Protection Bureau to check whether the alternative elections to the Parliament of Unrepresented organised by the Congress of Non-Citizens is the attempt to overthrow the state government (coup d'etat).  Mr. Dzintars believes that the fact that the alternative elections are to be held at the same time with municipal elections on 1 June testifies about its aim to establish structures opposed to the official state authorities. Thus, Raivis Dzintars asks to ban the activities of the Congress as it is anti-state organisation. Representatives of the Congress, in their turn, stress that the elections to the Parliament of Unrepresented are the first truly general elections in Latvia as not only citizens can take part but also non-citizens and all registered residents. Thus, this is a step towards the establishment of political nation and consolidation of the society based on democratic values and freedom. Vesti Segodnya reminds that Mr. Dzintars has just recently congratulated his comrades on the occasion of the anniversary of one real coup d'etat, organised by Karlis Ulmanis on 15 May 1934. Raivis Dzintars' organisation "All for Latvia!" celebrates this coup d'etat since 2005, when it was officially a "youth NGO". Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

• MPs did not support inclusion of the proposal on transition of all municipal kindergartens into Latvian language on the plenary session’s agenda
• Minister of Defence Artis Pabriks: service in foreign army is a betrayal of the own state
• Researcher compares celebration of 9 May by Russian speaking residents with “pride” of sexual minorities

Yesterday, the majority of the MPs did not support inclusion of the proposal on transition of all municipal kindergartens into Latvian language on the plenary session’s agenda. The draft amendments to the Education Law urgently prepared nationalists’ union All for Latvia/FF-LNIM stipulating transition of education in all municipal kindergartens into Latvian language only starting with 1 September 2014 gain support of the MPs from the Unity and the nationalists’ union. The main opponents of the proposal were the MPs from the governing coalition party Reforms Party and from the oppositional party Concord Centre. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize reports about the two scandals around a Latvian citizen who served in Russia’s Army and participation of young people from Latvia in an international youth military sports camp in Russia. Recently, one of the newspapers published an interview with the Latvian citizen who said that he applied to serve in Latvia’s army but was refused and therefore he applied for service in Russia’s army. Commenting this case, the Minister of Defence Artis Pabriks stated that Latvian citizens have no right to serve in foreign armies and the oath to the other state means betrayal of the own state. According to Latvijas Avize, the case with the participation of young people in the Russia’s military camp also is about the loyalty to the state because these young people have signed a decree according to which, in case of a conflict in the states where participants of the camp come from they will rush for rescue one another. Head of the Latvian Recruiting and Youth Guard Centre who was aware of the camp and allowed the young people to use uniforms of Latvian recruits after the scandal resigned from the post.

In an interview with Latvijas Avize, researcher of social memory Martins Kaprans compares celebration of 9 May or Victory day by Russian speaking residents in Latvia with “pride” of sexual minorities. Mr Kaprans believes that in such way Russian speakers publicly show their pride about their identity and their existence. Thus 9 May, primarily, becomes a self-affirmations creating foundation for collective memory and self-esteem.

• Elections to the Parliament of Unrepresented will go on several days

Latvijas Avize reports that the Congress of Non-Citizens will launch the elections to the Parliament of Unrepresented on 25May on the Internet and from 1 June to 11 June at the “polling stations” in different Latvian cities. As reported, these elections will be held at the same time as municipal elections on 1 June. Head of the Central Elections Committee Arnis Cimdars refused to comment the elections to the Parliament of Unrepresented as it is a political initiative. Advisor of the Minister of Justice Janis Tomelis, in his turn, stated that the Congress misleads people calling their elections as “universal elections” because only state can organise universal elections but the Parliament of Unrepresented is just a structure of the Congress.