• Latvijas Avize blames the Ombudsman’s Office for discrimination of ethnic Latvians
• Speaker of the Saeima Solvita Aboltina does not believe that Russian language is infringed in Latvia
• Days of Russian culture to be conducted in Latvia

Latvijas Avize blames the Ombudsman’s Office for discrimination of ethnic Latvians. According to the newspapers, one of the requirements for the post of lawyer in the Ombudsman’s Office is good Russian language proficiency. In opinion of MPs, representatives of the nationalists’ union Vineta Porina and Inara Murniece (head of the Saeima’s Human Rights and Social Affairs Committee) such requirements are discriminatory for those ethnic Latvian who are not proficient in Russian. The Ombudsman’s Office, in its turn, argues that 60% of its clients are Russian speakers, therefore, requirements for Russian language proficiency in reasonable.

The Speaker of the Saeima Solvita Aboltina in an interview with Latvian Radio 4 stated she was very upset about the conduction of the referendum on the status of Russian language in Latvia. Mrs Aboltina does not believe that Russian language is infringed in Latvia, but believes that the referendum was an action initiated by politicians in order to take away the attention of the society from the more important issues. Mrs Aboltina also stated that Latvia was established by representatives of various ethnic minorities in 1918 and also ethnic minorities took part in the restoration of Latvian independence in 1991. Chas

Chas and Vesti Segodnya reports about the Days of Russian culture planned to be held from 23 May to 6 June in Latvia. Organisers of the event believe it raises the cultural level of the society and positions of Latvia as a country which respects all ethnic minority groups.

• Security Police: skinheads do not represent a threat to national security
• Action reminding about situation of non-citizens planned to be held on 4 May

According to an annual report of the Security Police, Latvian skinheads do not represent a threat to national security, because they are not united, disorganised, and have no permanent ties with organisations and persons in other countries. The active skinheads are mostly young people using Internet as their main tool for spread of radical ideology. The Security Police initiated 12 criminal proceedings on incitement to ethnic hatred in 2011. The majority of the alleged violations were made on the Internet. Vesti Segodnya

An NGO “For Honesty and Justice” calls Latvian non-citizens to lay flowers tied with violet (colour of non-citizens’ passport) ribbon and title “Aliens are coming” and “In EU we trust” to the Monument of Latvia on 4 May – the day of restoration of Latvian independence. By such action the activists of the NGO want to remind that non-citizens still do not enjoy full rights. Vesti Segodnya

• Minister of the nationalists’ union sold real estate to non-EU citizens

Vesti Segodnya reports that the Minister of Culture Zanete Jaunzeme-Grende sold real estate in Riga to two third-country nationals, who now have the right to ask for residence permit in Latvia trough easier procedure. The newspaper notes that the Minister is a member of the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM who recently proposed to strike off the article from the Immigration Law which stipulates granting residence permits to foreigners who possess real estate in Latvia or made large investments in economy. The nationalists label this practice as “selling residence permits” and call to terminate it.

• MP Janis Urbanovics: society should consolidate around a common aim
• Council on Electronic Mass Media also initiated case regarding a news story about events on 16 March in Riga broadcasted on the First Baltic Channel

Latvijas Avize prints an interview with the MP, leader of the Concord Centre Janis Urbanovics. Mr Urbanovics believes that the most successful model of consolidation of society is to unite around a common aim. Such aim could be a prosperous independent country member of the EU and the NATO. According to Mr Urbanovics, the Big Cleanup Day is a good example of consolidation of the society when ethnic Latvian and Russian neighbours together clean up the area where they live. Mr Urbanovics believes that it is wrong to assimilate or isolate Russian speakers; instead Latvia should encourage their respect towards ethnic Latvians and expression of their own will to learn the language and to become citizens.

The Council on Electronic Mass Media initiated an administrative case regarding a news story about events on 16 March (unofficial commemoration day of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires) in Riga broadcasted on the First Baltic Channel. Earlier, following a complaint alleging that the same news story is biased, provocative and reflects distorted facts with an aim to negative image of Latvia, the Security Police initiated criminal proceedings on incitement to ethnic hatred.

The Council on Electronic Mass Media initiated an administrative case regarding a news story about events on 16 March (unofficial commemoration day of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires) in Riga broadcasted on the First Baltic Channel. Earlier, following a complaint alleging that the same news story is biased, provocative and reflects distorted facts with an aim to negative image of Latvia, the Security Police initiated criminal proceedings on incitement to ethnic hatred. Latvijas Avize

• Nationalists union calls the Council of Electronic Mass Media to pay more attention on how mass media report about issues important for Latvia and ethnic Latvians
• High Commissioner on National Minorities of the OSCE Knut Vollebaek is planning to visit Latvia

The nationalists’ union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM calls the Council of Electronic Mass Media to pay more attention on how mass media report about issues important for Latvia and ethnic Latvians. Particularly, the nationalists’ union considers that quite often there are cases of cynic attitude towards values important for ethnic Latvians and historical events in Russian language mass media.

The nationalists union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM calls the Council of Electronic Mass Media to pay more attention on how mass media report about issues important for Latvia and ethnic Latvians. Particularly, the nationalists union considers that quite often there are cases of cynic attitude towards values important for ethnic Latvians and historical events in Russian language mass media. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize reports the High Commissioner on National Minorities of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Knut Vollebaek is planning to visit Latvia in July. Last time the Commissioner visited Latvia in February 2011. Then, the High Commissioner acknowledged that Latvia has improved integration of ethnic minorities but also called to grant non-citizens voting rights in municipal elections.