• FF/LNIM discusses its proposals on the draft amendments to the Citizenship Law with the MPs from New Era
• Special Assignment Minister for Social Integration about the core objectives of the Integration Secretariat
• Most popular parties in March: Union of Greens and Farmers, FHRUL and New Era

Today the parliamentary faction “For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM” is planning to discuss its proposals on the draft amendments to the Citizenship Law with the MPs from the party “New Era”. As reported, FF/LNIM has elaborated amendments with the objective to suspend naturalisation and to liquidate the Naturalisation Board. However, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Artis Pabriks (People’s party) does not support the proposals of FF/LNIM. The Minister believes that “the state has to maintain stability and implementation of international obligations.”

Today the parliamentary faction For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM is planning to discuss its proposals on the draft amendments to the Citizenship Law with the MPs from the party New Era. As reported, FF/LNIM has elaborated amendments with the objective to suspend naturalisation and to liquidate the Naturalisation Board. However, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Artis Pabriks (Peoples party) does not support the proposals of FF/LNIM. The Minister believes that the state has to maintain stability and implementation of international obligations. Chas, Telegraf, Latvijas Vestnesis

The Special Assignment Minister for Social Integration Karina Petersone has stated that strengthening of civil society, promotion of ethnic integration and fostering tolerance are three core directions of the Integration Secretariat’s activities. Karina Petersone believes that “the dialog with the representatives of civil society – NGOs, formal and informal interest groups, organisations of national minorities and various social vulnerable groups – is the core principle of social integration policy.”

The Special Assignment Minister for Social Integration Karina Petersone has stated that strengthening of civil society, promotion of ethnic integration and fostering tolerance are three core directions of the Integration Secretariats activities. Karina Petersone believes that the dialog with the representatives of civil society – NGOs, formal and informal interest groups, organisations of national minorities and various social vulnerable groups – is the core principle of social integration policy. Latvijas Avize

According to the public opinion survey conducted by "Latvijas fakti," the Union of Greens and Farmers would receive 10.9% of votes, For Human Rights in United Latvia – 10 %, New Era – 9.9 % if the Saeima elections were hold in April. People’s party (8.7%) and For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM (8.2%) would also pass the required 5 per cent barrier.

According to the public opinion survey conducted by "Latvijas fakti," the Union of Greens and Farmers would receive 10.9% of votes, For Human Rights in United Latvia – 10 %, New Era – 9.9 % if the Saeima elections were hold in April. Peoples party (8.7%) and For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM (8.2%) would also pass the required 5 per cent barrier. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf, Latvijas Avize, Diena, NRA

• One of the sentenced persons for instigation of racial hatred appealed the courts ruling
• Latvian publicist Visvaldis Lacis: integration of non-citizens is a suicide for Latvian nation

One of the three persons sentenced for instigation of racial hatred, Maksims Cernoshovs, appealed the ruling issued by the Riga Regional Court. As reported, the court sentenced the three young men to six and twelve months suspended imprisonment for a racially motivated physical assault on a dark-skinned citizen of the United States in July 2005. The lawyer of Maksims Cernoshovs argued that the ruling is ungrounded because there were no racial motivation involved and he should be sentenced for hooliganism. The other two sentenced persons did not appeal the ruling.

One of the three persons sentenced for instigation of racial hatred, Maksims Cernoshovs, appealed the ruling issued by the Riga Regional Court. As reported, the court sentenced the three young men to six and twelve months suspended imprisonment for a racially motivated physical assault on a dark-skinned citizen of the United States in July 2005. The lawyer of Maksims Cernoshovs argued that the ruling is ungrounded because there were no racial motivation involved and he should be sentenced for hooliganism. The other two sentenced persons did not appeal the ruling. Latvijas Avize

Latvian writer and member of the Latvian Green Party Visvaldis Lacis in an interview with

Latvian writer and member of the Latvian Green Party Visvaldis Lacis in an interview with NRA stated that integration of non-citizens is a suicide for the Latvian nation: The majority of Russians and Russian-speaking residents of Latvia are hostile towards the state. The evidence are 25 members of the Saeima elected by these new citizens who had stated that there have been no communist crimes in Latvia, nor occupation… My aim is to stop integration!

• Russian Community of Latvia celebrates its 15 year anniversary
• Chas features an article about a movement Return our names!

The Russian Community of Latvia (RCL) celebrates its 15 year anniversary. The head of the RCL Vjaceslavs Altuhovs in an interview with

The Russian Community of Latvia (RCL) celebrates its 15 year anniversary. The head of the RCL Vjaceslavs Altuhovs in an interview with Chas recalls the history of the community and reports on its present activities: Today our priorities are preservation and development of the Russian culture heritage, especially folklore and classic traditions.

Chas features an article about a movement Return our names! which opposes Latvianization of non-Latvian names and surnames in official documents issued in Latvia. Activist of the movement Ruslan Pankratov stated that the aim of the movement is to achieve changes in Latvian legislation so that it would be possible to keep original spelling of non-Latvian names.

• MP Boriss Cilevics: power of Latvia is consolidation of all communities

The MP Boriss Cilevics in an interview with

The MP Boriss Cilevics in an interview with Vesti Segodnya stated that power of Latvia lies in consolidation of all communities and in cooperation among various ethnic groups. When Latvia becomes a multicultural country; when the rights of all residents of Latvia are observed and realized in practice; when ethnic minorities have all potential for their development – I will say that I have nothing to do in politics anymore, stated Boriss Cilevics.

• OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Rolf Ekeus on the situation of minorities in Latvia
• Security Police asked the Prosecution Office to initiate criminal prosecution against a young man on charges of violation of racial equality
• Prosecutor closed a criminal process against the members of NSS who were accused in incitement to ethnic hatred
• Vesti Segodnya features an interview with a Russian linguist

The OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe) High Commissioner on National Minorities Rolf Ekeus stated that there is progress made regarding the naturalisation process in Latvia since it entered the European Union. However, Rolf Ekeus noted that the ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities imposes specific obligations: “the main task is to continue to speed up naturalisation, because there is still a huge number of non-citizens in Latvia.” The Commissioner also stated that he supports the implementation of monitoring on the quality of education in national minority schools in Latvia: “my task is to follow that the reform in minority schools would not deteriorate the quality of education.”

The OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe) High Commissioner on National Minorities Rolf Ekeus stated that there is progress made regarding the naturalisation process in Latvia since it entered the European Union. However, Rolf Ekeus noted that the ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities imposes specific obligations: the main task is to continue to speed up naturalisation, because there is still a huge number of non-citizens in Latvia. The Commissioner also stated that he supports the implementation of monitoring on the quality of education in national minority schools in Latvia: my task is to follow that the reform in minority schools would not deteriorate the quality of education. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize, Diena, NRA

On Friday, the Security Police asked the Prosecution Office to initiate criminal prosecution against a young man charged with violation of racial equality and limitation of human rights. As reported, in February the State Police detained the18-year-old man who burned a cross in front of the house where a dark-skinned person lives. The man admitted that he does not like dark-skinned people and that burning of the cross was a protest against his dark-skinned neighbor.

On Friday, the Security Police asked the Prosecution Office to initiate criminal prosecution against a young man charged with violation of racial equality and limitation of human rights. As reported, in February the State Police detained the18-year-old man who burned a cross in front of the house where a dark-skinned person lives. The man admitted that he does not like dark-skinned people and that burning of the cross was a protest against his dark-skinned neighbor. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize, Diena

The Prosecutor of the Riga Regional Court closed a criminal process against several leaders of the ultra-right organisation Union of National Forces (NSS in its Latvian acronym) Viktors Birze and Ainiss Sprogis who were accused in incitement to ethnic hatred. As reported, the members of the NSS in a TV show in May of 2005 called all persons who came to Latvia during the USSR’s regime to depart to their ethnic homeland. They also made offensive statements about a dark-skinned member of National Bolsheviks Benes Ayo. The members of the NSS are planning to sue the director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Ilze Brands-Kehre (who gave her conclusion on these statements) for moral damage.

The Prosecutor of the Riga Regional Court closed a criminal process against several leaders of the ultra-right organisation Union of National Forces (NSS in its Latvian acronym) Viktors Birze and Ainiss Sprogis who were accused in incitement to ethnic hatred. As reported, the members of the NSS in a TV show in May of 2005 called all persons who came to Latvia during the USSRs regime to depart to their ethnic homeland. They also made offensive statements about a dark-skinned member of National Bolsheviks Benes Ayo. The members of the NSS are planning to sue the director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Ilze Brands-Kehre (who gave her conclusion on these statements) for moral damage. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya features an interview with Russian linguist Vladimir Slavkin about the situation of the Russian language in Latvia. The linguist considers that Russians in Latvia, especially the Russian mass media, must actively preserve and take care of the language because there is a big influence of other languages, such as Latvian and English.