• Minister of Justice Solvita Aboltina about necessary amendments to the Citizenship Law
• Ministry of Education and Science proposes to form an agency for monitoring quality of education at schools

Russian-language newspapers feature an opinion of the Minister for Justice Solvita Aboltina about necessary amendments to the Citizenship Law. The minister recognises that some requirements of the law, especially those concerning naturalisation of newborn children and orphans, should be softened. At the same time, says the minister, new provisions denying Latvian citizenship to persons related to terrorists, or to the organisations which are ill-disposed towards the state, should be included in the law. Aboltina believes that the law should also determine the procedure of deprivation of Latvian citizenship, stipulating that a person can be deprived of Latvian citizenship only by a court verdict.

Russian-language newspapers feature an opinion of the Minister for Justice Solvita Aboltina about necessary amendments to the Citizenship Law. The minister recognises that some requirements of the law, especially those concerning naturalisation of newborn children and orphans, should be softened. At the same time, says the minister, new provisions denying Latvian citizenship to persons related to terrorists, or to the organisations which are ill-disposed towards the state, should be included in the law. Aboltina believes that the law should also determine the procedure of deprivation of Latvian citizenship, stipulating that a person can be deprived of Latvian citizenship only by a court verdict. Chas, Telegraf

Following the verdict of the Constitutional Court about compliance of the minority education reform to the Constitution of Latvia and international standards, the Ministry of Education and Science proposed to the government to form an agency for monitoring quality of education in minority and Latvian-language schools. As reported, the Court pointed to a lack of an effective control mechanism of the quality of education. Deputy Head of the General Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Science Evija Papule stresses there is a present lack of criteria for evaluation of the quality of education not only at minority, but also at the Latvian-language schools. The newspaper questions if necessary funding for establishment of the agency is available within the state budget.

Following the verdict of the Constitutional Court about compliance of the minority education reform to the Constitution of Latvia and international standards, the Ministry of Education and Science proposed to the government to form an agency for monitoring quality of education in minority and Latvian-language schools. As reported, the Court pointed to a lack of an effective control mechanism of the quality of education. Deputy Head of the General Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Science Evija Papule stresses there is a present lack of criteria for evaluation of the quality of education not only at minority, but also at the Latvian-language schools. The newspaper questions if necessary funding for establishment of the agency is available within the state budget.

• Yesterday the Cabinet of Ministers accepted ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
• Approximately 100 persons participated in a picket next to the building of the Cabinet of Ministers yesterday
• Chas criticises the judgement of the Constitutional Court about the compliance of the minority education reform to the Constitution and the international standards
• Chas is concerned about alleged suspension of the naturalisation process

Yesterday the Cabinet of Ministers accepted ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities with two reservations. One of the reservations concerns usage of minority language in communication with local authorities, and the other - street signs in minority language. The definition of national minority is applied only to citizens of Latvia living in Latvia for several generations. The government stresses that those ethnic groups, which do not fall under this definition, will not be deprived of the rights they have enjoyed until now. The convention should be still ratified by the Saeima.

Yesterday the Cabinet of Ministers accepted ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities with two reservations. One of the reservations concerns usage of minority language in communication with local authorities, and the other - street signs in minority language. The definition of national minority is applied only to citizens of Latvia living in Latvia for several generations. The government stresses that those ethnic groups, which do not fall under this definition, will not be deprived of the rights they have enjoyed until now. The convention should be still ratified by the Saeima. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Telegraf

Yesterday approximately 100 persons participated in a picket next to the building of the Cabinet of Ministers, organised by the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia. Participants of the picket requested government to grant all civic rights to the non-citizens and to ratify the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities without any reservations.

Yesterday approximately 100 persons participated in a picket next to the building of the Cabinet of Ministers, organised by the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia. Participants of the picket requested government to grant all civic rights to the non-citizens and to ratify the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities without any reservations. Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Rigas Balss, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Telegraf

Chas prints an article by a legal expert Yelizaveta Krivcova, who criticises decision of the Constitutional Court regarding compliance of the minority education reform to the Constitution of Latvia and the international standards. Krivcova believes that the court failed to deliver an unbiased judgement in accordance with the European democratic principles, sticking instead to the values of Latvian ‘ethnic democracy. According to the author, there are also contradictions within the courts verdict, which recognises minority participation and monitoring of the quality of education as a pre-requisite for non-discrimination but excludes possible intervention in states discriminatory practices.

Chas is concerned about the fact that the government has not approved any list of naturalised persons lately. The Naturalisation Board denies newspapers assumption that the naturalisation process is suspended and reminds that the state should inform an applicant about the naturalisation result within one year.

• Cabinet of Ministers discusses the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities today
• State Security Police: the MP Kirsteins statements do not incite national hatred

Today the Cabinet of Ministers holds discussions on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The union For Human Rights in the United Latvia organises a picket near the building of the Cabinet of Ministers demanding to ratify the Convention without any reservations.

Today the Cabinet of Ministers holds discussions on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The union For Human Rights in the United Latvia organises a picket near the building of the Cabinet of Ministers demanding to ratify the Convention without any reservations. Chas prints a big interview with the head of the Subcommittee on Minority Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Latvian MP Boriss Cilevics about possible consequences of ratification. Latvijas Avize, Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Yesterday the State Security Police responded to the application of the Russian newspaper

Yesterday the State Security Police responded to the application of the Russian newspaper Chas, which questioned whether several statements of MP Aleksandrs Kirsteins (the Peoples Party) call to national hatred. In its response the Police states that the Kirsteins' statements are not intentional thus cannot be classified as incitements to national hatred. Chas

• Newspapers continue to write about the ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
• Interview with the head of the Subcommittee on Minority Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Latvian MP Boriss Cilevics
• Latvian MPs: Latvia is not ready to ratify the 12th protocol to the to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
• Latvijas Avize reports on a seminar of minority schools directors on the education reform
• Russian delegation is planning to raise an issue of mass non-citizenship in Latvia during the summit of the Council of Europe
• Chas interviews leader of a national-radical youth organisation ‘Visu – Latvijai!

Newspapers continue to write about the ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

Newspapers continue to write about the ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. Neatkariga Rita Avize features an article by a columnist Viktors Avotins, who believes that ratification of the convention with the planned reservations and minority definition, developed by a working group, could increase political and ethnic tensions in society. Vesti Segodnya prints an article by the MP Vladimirs Buzajevs (For Human Rights in the United Latvia), who believes that the Council of Europe will obligate Latvia to cancel the reservation concerning the usage of minority language in communication with the local authorities. Vesti Segodnya and Chas also print a call of the FHRUL to participate in a picket near the building of the Cabinet of Ministers on 17 May, when the government is planning to review the ratification issue. Neatkariga Rita Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Chas

Telegraf prints an interview with the head of Subcommittee on Minority Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Latvian MP Boriss Cilevics (Peoples Harmony Party) about the judgement of the Constitutional Court regarding compliance of the minority education reform to the Constitution of Latvia. Although the MP believes that claimants should be dissatisfied with the Courts decision as it refused their claim to cancel the reform, he also points to several positive aspects of the verdict. According to Cilevics, the court recognised that minority students should have a right to choose in which language to answer during the lessons and that there is no effective system of control of the quality of education. When commenting on the ratification of the convention, Cilevics states that the reservation concerning the usage of minority language in communication with the local authorities could cause the largest objections form the European institutions.

Latvijas Avize reports on a meeting of the representatives of the Saeima Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee with the representative of the Latvian government to international human rights institutions Inga Reine. Possibilities to ratify the 12th, 13th and 14th protocols to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in Latvia were discussed during the meeting. Among other, the MPs recognised that Latvia is not ready to ratify the 12th protocol of the convention prohibiting any kind of discrimination, because Latvia has not adopted an anti-discrimination law yet.

Latvijas Avize reports on a seminar of minority schools directors, during which consequences of the implementation of the minority education reform were discussed. The newspaper refers to an opinion poll among directors of Riga, Liepaja, Ventspils, Rezekne and Daugavpils minority schools, which shows that minority students have already accepted the situation that they should learn mainly in Latvian language. At the same time, minority school directors pointed to a necessity to develop education materials on geography, history, chemistry and biology, as well as dictionaries in several subjects in order to facilitate studying of these subjects in Latvian.

Vesti Segodnya, referring to an undisclosed information source, informs that Russian delegation is planning to raise an issue of mass non-citizenship in Latvia during the summit of the Council of Europe, which will take place in Warsaw.

Chas prints an interview about social integration with a leader of the national-radical youth organisation ‘Visu – Latvijai! (All for Latvia) Raivis Dzintars. Dzintars believes that naturalisation process should be suspended immediately, and that a principle of proportionality should be observed in the future, when an annual number of naturalised persons depend on a number of ethnic Latvians born during that year. Dzintars also advocates for a repatriation programme for non-citizens.

• Constitutional Court: minority education reform complies to the Constitution of Latvia and international human rights standards
• Vesti Segodnya discusses the forthcoming ratification of the Framework Convention for the protection of National Minorities
• Sestdiena prints an article about problems faced by a retired major of the Soviet Army who wants to return to Latvia

Yesterday the Constitutional Court of Latvia refused a claim about the cancellation of the minority education reform, ruling that the reform fully complies with the Constitution of Latvia and international standards. The court’s decision stressed that the case can be viewed only in a historical context of mass deportations and intensive immigration as a result of the USSR policy, as it caused a particular ethnic situation in the state. According to the court, the language proportion stipulated by the education reform is not discriminating and the bilingual education does not violate person’s rights to get education and to maintain minority identity and culture. The court agreed with the statement of the Saeima that minority education reform both promotes inclusion of minority representatives in the society, and offers them an opportunity to learn in their native language. At the same time, the Court recognised that it is impossible to establish what impact the reform has on the quality of education after just nine months of its implementation. The Court pointed to a lack of an effective control mechanism of the quality of education. When evaluating possibilities for minority representatives’ participation in decision making process on the education reform, court ruled that the state should collaborate with the minorities. At the same time, the court’s decision says that the fact that opinion of minority representatives was not fully taken into account does not mean that they were not listened to. Complaint about the non-compliance of the minority education reform to the Constitution of Latvia and international human rights standards was submitted to the court by 20 left-wing MPs.

Yesterday the Constitutional Court of Latvia refused a claim about the cancellation of the minority education reform, ruling that the reform fully complies with the Constitution of Latvia and international standards. The courts decision stressed that the case can be viewed only in a historical context of mass deportations and intensive immigration as a result of the USSR policy, as it caused a particular ethnic situation in the state. According to the court, the language proportion stipulated by the education reform is not discriminating and the bilingual education does not violate persons rights to get education and to maintain minority identity and culture. The court agreed with the statement of the Saeima that minority education reform both promotes inclusion of minority representatives in the society, and offers them an opportunity to learn in their native language. At the same time, the Court recognised that it is impossible to establish what impact the reform has on the quality of education after just nine months of its implementation. The Court pointed to a lack of an effective control mechanism of the quality of education. When evaluating possibilities for minority representatives participation in decision making process on the education reform, court ruled that the state should collaborate with the minorities. At the same time, the courts decision says that the fact that opinion of minority representatives was not fully taken into account does not mean that they were not listened to. Complaint about the non-compliance of the minority education reform to the Constitution of Latvia and international human rights standards was submitted to the court by 20 left-wing MPs. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya discusses the forthcoming ratification of the Framework Convention for the protection of National Minorities. When commenting on a possible minority definition, the author of the article claims that the state is doing everything possible in order to deprive Russians of minority status after the ratification.

Dienas supplement Sestdiena prints an article about a retired major of the Soviet Army Aleksandrs Frolovs, who is presently living in Russian town of Pskov, not far from the Latvian border. Frolovs and his two grown-up daughters are studying Latvian language and hope to return to Latvia. According to Frolovs, he was born in Latvia, and his mother and brother are citizens of Latvia. Frolovs himself was deprived of the Latvian citizenship when he did not retire from the Soviet Army prior to 28 January 1992, as required by Latvian legislation. According to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, Frolovs and his wife have a right to return to Latvia and obtain a temporary residence permit for five years. After five years, they can apply for a permanent residence permit, and then after another five years - for Latvian citizenship. Their daughters can start the same procedure only after naturalisation of their parents.