• Government supports Nils Muiznieks for the post of director of the Latvian National Human Rights Office

Despite objections of the ministers of the New Era, the government expressed its support for the candidacy of Nils Muiznieks for the post of director of the Latvian National Human Rights Office. As reported, the New Era argued that Nils Muiznieks does not qualify for the post because he lacks expertise in human rights and was a member of a party. The leader of the New Era Einars Repse believes that Nils Muiznieks will manage to take the post only if his candidacy is supported by the opposition parties. 

Despite objections of the ministers of the New Era, the government expressed its support for the candidacy of Nils Muiznieks for the post of director of the Latvian National Human Rights Office. As reported, the New Era argued that Nils Muiznieks does not qualify for the post because he lacks expertise in human rights and was a member of a party. The leader of the New Era Einars Repse believes that Nils Muiznieks will manage to take the post only if his candidacy is supported by the opposition parties. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Telegraf

• Diena discusses reaction of Police officers towards persons in dressed in swastika-emblazoned clothes
• An interview with the Minister of Education and Science Ina Druviete

Diena notes that during the Gay Pride, which took place last Saturday in Riga, police officers, that guarded the parade, showed no reaction to or dealt with persons dressed in swastika-emblazoned clothes. Among such persons were members of illegal national radical organisation Perkonkrusts. The deputy chairperson of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia Ilze Brands Kehris believes that no reaction from the side of police officers towards such symbols is a dangerous tendency in particular in times when societys tolerance level is very low. While the Chief of the Riga Order Police Valdis Voins points out that polices previous attempts to initiate a case for the usage of symbols similar to the Nazi swastika have failed.

Latvijas Avize features an interview with the Minister of Education and Science Ina Druviete about the situation of the Latvian language in the context of implementation of the minority education reform. The Minister stresses that by the implementation of the minority education reform division of schools in Latvia in so-called Latvian and Russian schools has come to an end. The Minister argues that the state does not implement the assimilatory policy as primary education institutions provide minority education programmes in eight languages, but secondary education institutions – in five languages. Ina Druviete believes that a person should know Latvian if s/he wants to participate in public life and make career in Latvia. The Minister also states that at the moment minority schools are better equipped with teaching materials than Latvian-language schools.

• USA Congress calls Russia to recognise the occupation of the Baltic States

The House of Representatives of the USA Congress adopted a resolution demanding Russia to recognise and condemn the occupation of the Baltic States. According to the resolution, recognition of occupation would promote stability in the region. The resolution was adopted unanimously.

The House of Representatives of the USA Congress adopted a resolution demanding Russia to recognise and condemn the occupation of the Baltic States. According to the resolution, recognition of occupation would promote stability in the region. The resolution was adopted unanimously.

• Latvias intelligentsia condemns recent expressions of racism and homophobia in Latvia

Diena prints an open letter signed by the number of representatives of the Latvian inteligentsua. The letter calls the society to turn against racism, anti-Semitism and homophobia in Latvia. The authors of the letter express their concern about a number of attacks on dark-skinned people that have taken place in Riga recently. They note that only one of these incidents has been qualified as racially motivated attack, while others were categorised as simple hooliganism. The authors of the letter express their concern also regarding intolerance of society, in particular politicians, towards gay people. The authors of the letter refer to the difficulties organisers of the Gay Pride experienced – first, the Riga City Council to authorise the Pride, then cancelled the authorisation after a number of politicians and officials stated that such Prides are not acceptable for the majority of society. In the conclusions the authors of the open letter call the society not to believe persons, including politicians, who justify intolerance by ‘Christian values. The letter is signed by 183 representatives of Latvian intelligentsia and foreigners living in Latvia.

• Minister of Interior: there are no organised racist groups in Latvia
• An interview with the director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies Ilze Brands Kehris about ethnic integration in Latvia

‘There are no organised groups of racists in Latvia; the recent attacks against representatives of other races are individual cases, committed by rude and drunk individuals,’ stated Minister of Interior Eriks Jekabsons. The Minister believes that similar cases take place in all EU countries.

‘There are no organised groups of racists in Latvia; the recent attacks against representatives of other races are individual cases, committed by rude and drunk individuals, stated Minister of Interior Eriks Jekabsons. The Minister believes that similar cases take place in all EU countries. Diena sharply criticises the statement of the Minister and points to a number of extremist organisations propagandising aggressive phobias on the Internet and newspapers. The daily also reports that the persons, who committed attacks on the Indian cook and Jewish rabbi in Riga Old Town, belong to the so-called informal group of skinheads. The newspaper welcomes the decision of the police to press charges for incitement of national hatred in the case of the Egyptian citizen who was also attacked in Riga.

Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with the director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies Ilze Brands Kehris. The director of the centre points to the necessity to revise the National Programme The Integration of Society in Latvia and take more active steps to combat discrimination. Regarding ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in Latvia, Ilze Brands Kehris criticises the decision of Latvia to introduce to the Convention the definition of national minority which provides that national minorities are only those representatives of national minorities who are Latvian citizens.