• Saeima’s Legal Committee refused a proposal of the nationalists’ union to return a notion “state nation” in to the draft Introduction to the Constitution of Latvia
• Congress of Non-Citizens announced that the U.S. Embassy supports its democratic initiatives

The Saeima’s Legal Committee refused a proposal of the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM to return a notion “state nation” in to the draft Introduction to the Constitution of Latvia. As reported, the first draft of the Introduction or Preamble to the Constitution contained the notion “state nation” which referred to ethnic Latvians, but later, following critical reaction from experts and representatives of ethnic minorities the notion was removed from the text. The author of the Introduction Egils Levits also called to use actively the notion “state nation” not in the text of the Introduction but in public life.

According to the Congress of Non-Citizens, it has received a letter from the U.S. Ambassador to Latvia Mark Pekala in which the U.S. Embassy expresses its support to the democratic initiatives of the Congress. Representative of the Embassy in an interview with Latvijas Avize explained that the letter was a reply on an appeal from the Congress of Non-Citizens. Representatives of the Embassy also have met with representatives of the Congress several times and will continue such meetings in future. The U.S. Embassy stressed that it conducts meetings with representatives of civil society in Latvia on a regular basis because an open dialogue is very important component of a democratic process in free and open society.

• Newspapers report about the Annual Report 2013 of the Security Police
• Establisher of the Movement of European Russians in Latvia Igors Vatolins: Russia needs to hear from Russian residents in Latvia than they do not want to be rescued
• Neatkariga reports on the Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee discussion on how to improve Latvian language proficiency of ethnic non-Latvians
• 171 persons applied for asylum in Latvia in 2013

Newspapers report about the Annual Report 2013 of the Security Police (SP). The report emphasizes interest of Russia’s security services in Latvia. According to the SP, Russia’s security services use so-called organisations of Russian compatriots and representatives of Russian diaspora in Latvia in order to discredit Latvian state. The report mentions specific organisations and persons such as the Congress of Non-Citizens and its activists Aleksandrs Gaponenko, Elizabete Krivcova, Jelena Bacinska, the Latvian council of non-governmental organisations headed by Viktors Guscins, organisation For Native Langauge and its leader Vladimirs Lindermans, the Russian Dawn and its leaders Illarions Girs and Jevgenijs Osipovs, activists of anti-fascist organisation World without Nazism Josifs Korens and Valerijs Engels, and others. The SP considers that these and other persons have a task to discredit Latvia and to strengthen Russia’s influence in Latvia. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

Neatkariga prints an interview with well-known journalist, establisher of the Movement of European Russians in Latvia Igors Vatolins. Mr Vatolins says that the Movement was established in order to show Russia and its President Vladimir Putin that Russians in Latvia do not need to be rescued and that they will solve their problems on their own. Mr Vatolins believes that it is especially important that such opinion comes from Russian speaking residents so as to prevent them being used as a resource for Russia’s policy and possible actions in Latvia. Mr Vatolins believes that further actions by Russia’s President are unpredictable and no one knows if the Baltic States will become the next step after Crimea. According to him, there is a variety of opinions among Russian speakers in Latvia and current tendencies show that radicals have very small support but they are visible because they loudly express their opinion. Mr Vatolins also advices the politicians not to raise the issue on transition of education in ethnic minority schools almost completely into Latvian language because it is very sensitive issue which may raise tensions.

Neatkariga reports on the Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee discussion on how to improve Latvian language proficiency of ethnic non-Latvians. It was stressed that an important factor is a teachers’ personality of in ethnic monitory school and teachers’ ability to motivate students to learn Latvian language and respect the state. The Minister of Education Ina Druviete believes that introduction of state language learning in kindergartens would help to improve language proficiency and usage. The Minister believes that after age of five children should study Latvian every day. The Minister also proposes to evaluate merge of education establishments because it is wrong that ethnic Latvian and non-Latvian children study separately.

171 persons applied for asylum in Latvia in 2013. 133 of asylum seekers were Georgians. 190 persons applied for asylum in 2012, and 351 in 2011. Vesti Segodnya

• Saeima amended the Criminal Law provision on denial of genocide, crimesagainst humanity and peace or war crimes

Yesterday, the Saeima approved in the final reading amendments to the Criminal Law provision, which envisions criminal liability for gross belittling of genocide, crimes against humanity and peace, as well as war crimes against Latvia. The amendments introduce mentioning of the USSR and Nazi Germany to already existing provision. The new wording of the Article 74.1 of the Criminal Law envisions: “For public glorification of genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes against peace or war crimes or for public glorification, denial, justification or gross belittling of genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes against peace, or war crimes against Latvian Republic and its residents can be punished with up to five years of imprisonment or with short-term imprisonment or with community service or with pecuniary penalty.” According to one of the authors of the amendments MP Andrejs Judins (Unity), these norms clearly strengthen regulation against persons who justify crimes of mentioned political regimes. Mr Judins also noted that this regulation equated the USSR and Nazi Germany crimes. Neatkariga, Latvijas Avize, Diena, Vesti Segodnya

• Diena: government ordered a secret study about integration in Latvia
• Security Police detained Latvian National Bolshevik Ajo Benes
• Saeima’s Consolidation Committee discussed how to improve preparation of teachers of the ethnic schools for reform 2018

Diena reports that the government ordered a secret study about integration in Latvia. The study will discover the attitude of Russian speaking residents towards Latvia. According to a representative of the government, information about the study is secret because it is closely connected with the state security. Results of the study will be available publicly as far as security concerns would allow it.  Integration expert Deniss Hanovs criticizes such approach stressing that information about who will conduct the study and its results should be publicly available. Mr Hanovs also does not agree to the state integration program according to which basis for integration are Latvian language and culture. He believes that the basis should be civil and democratic values because language could also be used by disloyal persons.

Yesterday, the Security Police (SP) detained Latvian National Bolshevik Ajo Benes. The SP initiated criminal proceeding against Mr. Benes for calls to violent overthrow of Latvia’s state power and liquidation of Latvia’s state independence. Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize reports about a session of the Saeima’s Consolidation Committee discussing how to improve preparation of teachers of the ethnic schools before planned language reform in schools in 2018.  The Minister of Education Ina Druviete promised to introduce improvements for teacher’s training, however the Ministery has not elaborated specific plan yet. The Minister also said that there is a need to merge Latvian and Russian language schools in future.

• MP Raivis Dzintars published a statement in which he calls to understand Russian residents
• Russian Union of Latvia plans to conduct another picket for education in native language
• Representative of the State Language Centre Antons Kurstitis criticizes the fact that deputies learn Latvian language using state budget funds
• Old-Orthodox Pomorian Church criticizes the draft Introduction to the Constitution

Vesti Segodnya reports that the MP Raivis Dzintars (nationalists’ union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM) published a statement in which he calls to understand Russian residents and to accept that they are different. He called to respect Russians and try to persuade them using different arguments. R. Dzintars also believes that the foundation of the society consolidation is growth of the living standards.

The Russian Union of Latvia plans to conduct another picket for education in native language and against political censorship and ban over broadcasts of one of the Russian TV channels in Latvia. The picket will be held on 15 May near the Saeima. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya reports that the State Language Centre found that some deputies of Daugavpils City Council have insufficient state language proficiency. The deputies were given six months to improve their language proficiency and the local government granted EUR 6,900 for this purpose. Representative of the State Language Centre Antons Kurstitis believes that such situation when residents pay for state language courses for deputies is not normal.

Central council of the Old-Orthodox Pomorian Church in Latvia came with a statement criticizing the draft Introduction to the Constitution of Latvia. The Council believes that the draft Introduction replaces reasonable and comprehensive notion of “Latvian nation” envisioned by the “forefathers” of the Constitution with notion of “ethnic Latvian nation” which contradicts the basic text of the Constitution and does not promote consolidation of the society. Vesti Segodnya