• 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.

• Fret about the future of national minority schools

Yesterday, the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers at the Presidents Advisory Council on Ethnic Minorities stated that „we should think of a mechanism to protect national minority schools in the present conditions, when the principle money follows the student is applied. Around ten national minority schools are under the threat of closure. Meanwhile Chair of the Council Romanlds Ražuks stated that this reform will not harm Russian schools, although some of them will have to be merged. Jakov Pliner added that „we will bring thousands of people out on the streets again if under the disguises of educational reform or budget cuts minority schools will be closed. Yesterday, the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers at the President’s Advisory Council on Ethnic Minorities stated that „we should think of a mechanism to protect national minority schools in the present conditions, when the principle “money follows the student” is applied”. Around ten national minority schools are under the threat of closure. Meanwhile Chair of the Council Romanlds Ražuks stated that this reform will not harm Russian schools, although some of them will have to be merged. Jakov Pliner added that „we will bring thousands of people out on the streets again if under the disguises of educational reform or budget cuts minority schools will be closed”. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas AvizeVesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize 
 
 

• Baltic Russian youth conference took place in Riga
• Lithuania wants to take part in Kononov case
• SS legionaries as the topic for the European Parliament elections

TelegrafTelegraf reports that Baltic Russian youth conference took place in Riga. The main question of the conference was: „Who we are - Russian youth in the Baltic countries? One of the main conclusions of the conference: there is no contradiction between acknowledgment of ones relation to Russia and acknowledgment of ones relation to the citizenship of the European Union. This gives Russian-speaking youth great opportunities reports that Baltic Russian youth conference took place in Riga. The main question of the conference was: „Who we are - Russian youth in the Baltic countries?” One of the main conclusions of the conference: there is no contradiction between acknowledgment of one’s relation to Russia and acknowledgment of one’s relation to the citizenship of the European Union. This gives Russian-speaking youth great opportunities 

Vesti Segodnya reports that Lithuania expressed its will to participate as a third party in the appeal process launched by Latvia in the case of Kononov v. Latvia in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Lithuanian government wants to present its own remarks concerning evaluation of legal and historical aspects of the Second World War for the Baltic States. As reported, Latvia appealed the ECHR judgment in the case Kononov v. Latvia which established that Latvia violated Article 7 (no punishment without law) of the European Convention on Human Rights and awarded Kononov 30 000 Euros in respect of non-pecuniary damage.

Vesti Segodnya also reports that political party „Everything for Latvia as part of the EP election campaign will request to exonerate Latvian and Estonian SS legionaries at the European level. The newspaper anticipates that most likely this party will not be elected to the European Parliament.