• Ombudsman Romans Apsitis: Latvian legislation not only protects Latvian language but also ensures inclusion of ethnic minorities into Latvian society and observes their right to use mother tongue
• Newspapers report about grant of awards for prominent figures of Russian culture in Latvia

The Ombudsman Romans Apsitis in an interview with

The Ombudsman Romans Apsitis in an interview with Latvijas Avize stated that he does not support introduction of the second state language in Latvia. The Ombudsman explains that the goal of his recent statement regarding compliance of Article 21 of the State Language Law with Latvian Constitution was to draw attention on the fact that Latvian legislation protects not only Latvian language but also ensures inclusion of ethnic minorities into Latvian society and observes their right to use mother tongue. Therefore, the Ombudsman believes that in order to ensure observation of fundamental rights of ethnic minorities the state institutions working on promotion of integration and observance of human rights (e.g. the Ombudsman Office, the Ministry of Welfare, municipal social services) should be granted the right to provide public information about fundamental rights in foreign languages and to distribute it trough mass media, booklets or other information materials.

Vesti Segodnya and Chas report several Russian NGOs and higher education establishments presented awards to prominent figures of Russian culture in Latvia.

• Security Police initiated a criminal process for incitement of ethnic hatred in Internet comments about 9 May events

Vesti Segodnya reports that a monitoring of comments about 9 May events (Victory Day) on Latvian news internet portals conducted by the Security Police revealed several insulting comments and comments inciting to ethnic hatred. The Security Police initiated a criminal process on Article 78 part 2 of Criminal Code for incitement to ethnic hatred and continues the investigation.

• Latvijas Avize criticizes the Ministry of Welfare for official press information about planned changes in payment of benefits distributed to Russian language mass media in Russian

Latvijas Avize criticizes the Ministry of Welfare for official press information about planned changes in payment of benefits distributed to Russian language mass media in Russian. According to the newspaper it is a violation of the State Language Law. The State Secretary of the Ministry of Welfare R. Beinarovics in an interview with the newspaper states the information was sent to Russian language mass media in Russian in order to help journalists to understand information about such sensitive issue and to prevent wrong interpretation. At the same time, Mr. Beinarovics states that this is the only occasion when the Ministry distributed information in Russian and the Ministry will never do that again.

• Prosecutors Office brought charges against a young man who placed in the Internet comments hostile towards Jews, Russians and homosexuals

The Prosecutor’s Office of the Riga Court District brought charges against a young man who placed in the Internet comments hostile towards Jews, Russians and homosexuals. The Security Police and the Prosecutor’s Office consider that 16 comments placed by the man on various Internet portals consciously incite interethnic hatred. In the comments, the author expressed support for national-socialistic and racist ideology, justified the Holocaust and insulted its victims, called for violence against sexual minorities, and argued for killing people because of their ethnic affiliation.

The Prosecutors Office of the Riga Court District brought charges against a young man who placed in the Internet comments hostile towards Jews, Russians and homosexuals. The Security Police and the Prosecutors Office consider that 16 comments placed by the man on various Internet portals consciously incite interethnic hatred. In the comments, the author expressed support for national-socialistic and racist ideology, justified the Holocaust and insulted its victims, called for violence against sexual minorities, and argued for killing people because of their ethnic affiliation. Chas

• Moscow Mayors Office granted RUB 5,000,000 (EUR 113,830) for protection of former Red Partisan Vasilijs Kononovs in the European Court of Human Rights

The Moscow Mayor’s Office granted RUB 5,000,000 (EUR 113,830) for protection of former “Red Partisan” Vasilijs Kononovs in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR.) As reported, in July 2008, the ECHR adopted a ruling in favour of Vasilijs Kononovs in his case against Latvia and obliged Latvia to pay to Mr. Kononovs EUR 30,000 as moral compensation. Latvia appealed the ruling and the case will be reviewed in the Grand Chamber.

The Moscow Mayors Office granted RUB 5,000,000 (EUR 113,830) for protection of former Red Partisan Vasilijs Kononovs in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR.) As reported, in July 2008, the ECHR adopted a ruling in favour of Vasilijs Kononovs in his case against Latvia and obliged Latvia to pay to Mr. Kononovs EUR 30,000 as moral compensation. Latvia appealed the ruling and the case will be reviewed in the Grand Chamber. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize