• Person sentenced to seven months of suspended imprisonment for hate speech online
• Nationalists prepared draft amendments stipulating transition of education in all municipal kindergartens into Latvian language only

The court sentenced a man to seven months of suspended imprisonment and seven months of probation period for justification of crimes against humanity and instigation of ethnic hatred. The convicted person commented in writing a video about burning of Latvian flag on an internet portal youtube.com: “big part of local residents fully deserved deportations. It was proved in 1941-1943 when more than 10% of Latvian residents showed up to be fascist degenerates. And it means, from the point of view of the USSR, deportations were not only justified but those were even too liberal.” The man also published other insulting statements towards ethnic Latvians. The man pleaded guilty and agreed with the prosecutor about the punishment. Latvijas Avize

The nationalists’ union All for Latvia/FF-LNIM has urgently prepared draft amendments to the Education Law stipulating transition of education in all municipal kindergartens into Latvian language only starting with 1 September 2014. The proposal is to be discussed today at the governing coalition’s meeting. In its pre-election campaign to the Riga City Council, the nationalists’ union promised to reduce long queues to the Latvian language kindergartens in Riga by transition of education in all kindergartens including minority into Latvian language. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

• Party "For Native Language" collects signatures for obligatory provision of instructions in Russian language to medications sold in Latvia
• Court accepted a claim on refusal to write original spelling of a child’s name in the birth certificate

Vesti Segodnya reports about a collection of signatures initiated by a member of the political party For Native Language Illarions Girs supporting obligatory provision of instructions in Russian language to medications sold in Latvia. At present, the legal acts stipulate obligatory instructions in Latvian language only.  According to the initiator of the proposal, instructions to medications provide very important information for people and misunderstanding about the usage of medications can cause serious damage to health. Thus, Russian speaking residents are subjected to higher risk of damage to health due to wrong usage of medication. The signatures are collected through the platform of public initiatives manabalss.lv.

The Liepaja Administrative Court accepted a claim against the Civil Registry Office who refused to issue a birth certificate with undistorted spelling of the name and surname of a newborn child. The parents gave their child traditional Russian name "Miron" and wanted to write it in the birth certificate without Latvian ending "–s" as it makes the name consonant with the word “mironis” which means “dead man” in Latvian language. Due to the absence of the birth certificate parents cannot officially register the child in order to receive benefits, health care, join the queue for kindergarten. Vesti Segodnya

 

• Security Police initiated a criminal proceeding against a local journalist who interviewed people about the draft amendments banning the usage of Soviet symbols
• Neatkariga prints an interview with the professor of the University of Latvia Vita Zelce about the genesis of 9 May in Latvia

 Vesti Segodnya reports that the Security Police initiated a criminal proceeding against a local journalist Andrejs Hromcovs accusing him of organisation of mass disorders and provocations on 9 May. According to Mr Hromcovs, he was filming a video story for a Russia’s TV about 9 May (unofficial celebration of the end of WWII or Victory Day) in Latvia and interviewed people about their opinion regarding the draft amendments banning usage of Soviet symbolic at public events. On the next day, Mr Hromcovs was called to the Security Police and asked about his conversation with people and plans, and later was accused of planning provocations on 9 May.  According to the Security Police, the journalist was planning provocations involving foreign mass media which would report about provocations with an aim to discredit Latvia.

Neatkariga prints an interview with the professor of the University of Latvia Vita Zelce about the genesis of 9 May and presence of the past today in Latvia. According to Mrs Zelce, wide celebration of 9 May or Victory Day today in Latvia in connected with the policy of the present President of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin regarding history, including aspect on strengthening of Russians’ identity and policy towards neighbour countries. Mrs Zelce believes that the 9 May is more or less directed by politicians and through this celebration specific ideology is being strengthened. Lack of intellectuals, lack of knowledge and carelessness in the intellectual area prevent Latvia of creating its own comprehension about the past and the presence of the past today.

• President will proclaim draft amendments to the Citizenship Law
• Saeima supported in the second reading draft amendments forbidding usage of Soviet and Nazi symbolic

The President Andris Berzins will proclaim the draft amendments to the Citizenship Law on 20 May. According to the representatives of the President, he will also call the Saeima to pay special attention to the cases in which it is necessary to allow having dual citizenship for the group of persons who are not included by the current legal provisions.  As reported, the new amendments allows Latvian citizens to have dual citizenship with the EU member states, the European Free Trade Association, the NATO, Australia, Brazil, and New Zeeland, or countries which concluded treaties on recognition of dual citizenship with Latvia. Latvians living in other countries (such as Russia and Israel) can have dual citizenship only by special order of the Cabinet of Ministers. Diena

Yesterday, the Saeima supported in the second reading the draft amendments to the Law "On the Security of Public Entertainment and Festive Events” forbidding usage of the USSR and Nazi flags, blazons, anthems, uniform and other symbols during the public events. The draft amendments got criticized by the oppositional party Concord Centre arguing that those are aimed at equating Nazi and Soviet regimes. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga

• All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM wants to forbid usage of Soviet and Nazi symbolic in all public events and places
• Days of Russian Culture starts in Latvia on 23 May

The nationalists’ union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM submitted to the Saeima draft amendments to the Administrative Violations Code stipulating punishments for usage of Soviet and Nazi symbolic in all public events and places. As reported, the Saeima works on the draft amendments to the Law "On the Security of Public Entertainment and Festive Events” forbidding usage of the USSR and Nazi flags, blazons, anthems, uniform and other symbols during the public events with an aim to glorify the regimes or justify of the crimes committed by these regimes. However, the nationalists’ union considers that it is not enough to forbid the usage of symbolic only in public events but it should cover also all public space. According to the nationalists’ union, public space should be cleaned of totalitarian symbols as those are disrespectful and cynical towards victims of totalitarian regimes. Vesti Segodnya, news agency LETA

Days of Russian Culture starts in Latvia from 23 May to 7 June. About 140 events are scheduled for the festival in Riga and other Latvian cities and regions. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya