• Ministry of Welfare elaborated draft amendments to the Law on State Pensions stipulating equal approach to calculation of pensions to citizens and non-citizens of Latvia
• Round table discussion Cultural-Informative Space in Baltic States and Russia: What Unites Us? held yesterday in Riga

Telegraf reports that the Ministry of Welfare elaborated draft amendments to the Law on State Pensions stipulating elimination of discrimination and ensuring equal approach to calculation of pensions to citizens and non-citizens of Latvia, including years of service during the Soviet times. The newspaper notes that the basis for such amendments is judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in favour of a Latvian pensioner, non-citizen Natalija Andrejeva who objected the fact that the years of her employment during the Soviet times at an enterprise located in Latvia but subordinated to lead organisations in Moscow and Kiev is not included in the total length of service on the ground that she does not have Latvian citizenship.

Newspapers

Newspapers reports about a round table discussion Cultural-Informative Space in Baltic States and Russia: What Unites Us? held yesterday in Riga. Representatives of Latvian and Russian mass media took part in the discussion. The main conclusion of the round table is that Baltic States and Russia are united by culture, while separated by distinct understanding of history. According to a famous Russian journalist Aleksey Benediktov, Russians will never accept assertion that the Red Army is an occupant and that Latvian Waffen SS legionaries are heroes. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

• FHRUL again proposes to grant non-citizens rights to vote in the EP elections
• Chas reports about new methodic materials on development and cultural education of students in Russian language schools
• Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with a candidate to the European Parliament from Latvia Alfreds Rubiks
• NGO Peoples Friendship Society starts to reveal concrete cases of manifestation of friendliness and unfriendliness between representatives of various ethnicities in Latvia

Saeima’s faction For Human Rights in United Latvia (FHRUL) again elaborated draft amendments to the Law on the European Parliament’s elections proposing to grant non-citizens rights to vote in the elections. The FHRUL proposes to review the draft amendments immediately and to set the date when the amendments come into force 7 June – the next day after the EP elections.

Saeimas faction For Human Rights in United Latvia (FHRUL) again elaborated draft amendments to the Law on the European Parliaments elections proposing to grant non-citizens rights to vote in the elections. The FHRUL proposes to review the draft amendments immediately and to set the date when the amendments come into force 7 June – the next day after the EP elections. Chas

Chas reports about new methodic materials on development and cultural education of students Russian School in Latvia in XXI century. According to the editors of the materials, it provides new approach to organization of study and education process in Russian language schools and strives to cover Russian culture throughout the whole education system. The materials will be handed to all Russian language schools in Latvia and pedagogic faculties of higher education establishments.

Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with a candidate to the European Parliament from Latvia, leader of Latvian Socialistic Party and the only political ex-prisoner in independent Latvia Alfreds Rubiks. Mr. Rubiks is prohibited to stand in parliamentary and municipal elections in Latvia due to his political past. According to Mr. Rubiks, the European Union should pay more attention on situation with non-citizens in Latvia. Mr. Rubiks believes that non-citizens should be recognized as citizens automatically or at least should be recognized as citizens of the EU without specific national citizenship.

Vesti Segodnya reports about an NGO Peoples Friendship Society which started to reveal concrete cases of manifestation of friendliness and unfriendliness between representatives of various ethnicities in Latvia. The first activity of the NGO is to reveal goods made in Latvia which are marked or not marked in Russian language. The NGO will make public list of goods friendly and unfriendly towards Russian speaking costumers calling to boycott goods without Russian language labeling.

• Political Scientist Ivars Ijabs: there is high probability that the next Mayor of the Riga City Council will be ethnic Russian
• The last person who used to speak Livonian (Liv) language in everyday family life has died at the age of 88

Political Scientist Ivars Ijabs in an interview with

Political Scientist Ivars Ijabs in an interview with Chas states that there is a high probability that the next Mayor of the Riga City Council after up-coming municipal elections will be an ethnic Russian. According to Mr. Ijabs, leader of the Concord Centre Nils Usakovs is very popular in Riga and surely the Concord Centre together with the For Human Rights in United Latvia will receive considerable representation in the Riga City Council and will try to establish a coalition.

The Livonian Union informed that a last person who used to speak Livonian (Liv) language in everyday family life has died at the age of 88. There are very few native speakers of this indigenous language and only 140 individuals are officially registered as ethnic Livonians (Livs) in Latvia.

The Livonian Union informed that a last person who used to speak Livonian (Liv) language in everyday family life has died at the age of 88. There are very few native speakers of this indigenous language and only 140 individuals are officially registered as ethnic Livonians (Livs) in Latvia. Chas

• President of the European Court of Human Rights Jean-Paul Costa visits Latvia
• Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Riekstins: participation in municipal elections is a political process
• Estonian border guards refused transit entry to Councillor of the Riga City Council

Jean-Paul Costa, the President of the European Court of Human Rights, makes an official visit to Latvia on 13-16 April 2009. Mr. Costa will meet the President of Latvia, the Prime Minister, other ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Justice as well as judges. Jean-Paul Costa will also deliver a public lecture at the Riga Graduate School of Law. During the last 10 years ECHR received more than 1500 applications on Latvia.

Jean-Paul Costa, the President of the European Court of Human Rights, makes an official visit to Latvia on 13-16 April 2009. Mr. Costa will meet the President of Latvia, the Prime Minister, other ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Justice as well as judges. Jean-Paul Costa will also deliver a public lecture at the Riga Graduate School of Law. During the last 10 years ECHR received more than 1500 applications on Latvia. Diena

In an interview with

In an interview with Chas, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Riekstins states that participation in municipal elections is a political process; therefore, non-citizens should naturalise in order to receive the right to take part in this process. The Minister also considers that Latvian non-citizens have some privilege over citizens because now non-citizens can travel to Russia without visa.

Vesti Segodnya reports that on 12 April 2009 Estonian border guards refused transit entry to Councillor of the Riga City Council Vladislavs Rafalskis, who accompanied a group of Russian schoolchildren from Latvia on return from a cultural trip to Russia. The border guards announced that Mr.Rafalskis is banned from entering Estonia, yet refused to explain anything. Prior to the trip, Rafalskis checked the black-lists of Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and his name was not officially banned. He guesses that the refusal is related to his membership in Latvian Anti-Fascist Committee.

• Right-wing party Everything for Latvia calls to ban the May 9th events
• Sadurskis proposes to ban individuals convicted of crimes against the state from standing in the European Parliament elections
• Movie premier Baltic States. History of one occupation will take place in Riga next week
• Hate speech perpetrator sentenced in Liepaja

Diena reports that NGO 9may.lv plans to celebrate the Day of Victory over Nazism in the Victory Park in Riga on 9 May. The Riga City Council will decide whether to allow the event after it receives an official opinion of the Security Police. The leader of party „Everything for Latvia Raivis Dzintars stated that since all March 16th events (the day of unofficial commemoration of Latvian Waffen SS legion) were officially banned, all May 9th events should be banned as well.

Chas reports that representative of political party Civic Union Karlis Sadurskis proposed to ban individuals convicted of crimes against the state from standing in the European Parliament elections. According to the article, representatives of the European Union once stated that these people do not pose a threat to Europe. Mr.Sadurskis justified his initiative by highlighting the case of Alfreds Rubiks, who, according to Mr.Sadurskis is a previously imprisoned criminal who tried to overthrow Latvian independence by using occupational forces of USSR.

Vesti Segodnya informs that a premiere of the movie Baltic countries. History of one occupation will take place in World Trade Centre in Riga next week. The movie already generated negative publicity, since the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia Maris Riekstins stated that the movie is pure propaganda against the Baltic countries and Latvia refused a visa to the movies director. The movie includes opinions and views of different politicians and economists from the Baltic countries about economic development before, during and after the Soviet Union. After the movie was released, most of the interviewees claimed that their views were cut of context or interpreted incorrectly.

Latvijas Avize reports that yesterday, Kurzeme Regional Court sentenced a 23 year old person to one year of probation for placing offensive comments against ethnic Latvians. The perpetrator placed the comments at the homepage of political party Everything for Latvia after he failed Latvian language naturalisation exam twice. The comments were classified as hate speech.

Dear subscribers!

Dear subscribers!

Because of official holidays, the next Integration Monitor will be issued on 14 April 2009.

Because ofofficial holidays, the next Integration Monitor will be issued on 14 April 2009.