• Naturalisation statistics
• NGOs calls to grant non-citizens voting rights in municipal elections
• Telegraf reports on Russias new repatriation programme

120,960 persons have been naturalised till the end of the last year and 13,193 minors have got Latvian citizenship along with their parents. In total, the Naturalization Board has received 121,723 naturalisation applications since the beginning of the naturalisation process in 1995.

120,960 persons have been naturalised till the end of the last year and 13,193 minors have got Latvian citizenship along with their parents. In total, the Naturalization Board has received 121,723 naturalisation applications since the beginning of the naturalisation process in 1995. Latvijas Avize

Last week two non-governmental organisations – the

Last week two non-governmental organisations – the Union of Citizens and Non-Citizens and the Humanitarian Perspective – have applied to the Saeima parliamentary groups calling them to support the draft law prepared by these organisations on the rights of non-citizens. The draft law stipulates granting voting rights to non-citizens in municipal elections. According to Chas, only For Human Rights in the United Latvia parliamentary group has responded the call of the organisations to submit amendments to the law on municipal elections to the Saeima Committee of State Administration and Local Governments. These amendments stipulate granting to non-citizens and foreigners permanently living in Latvia the right to vote in municipal elections. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Telegraf reports on Russias new programme supporting the repatriation of its compatriots. According to the information of the Representation of the Russian Federation Federal Migration Service in Latvia, approximately 300 persons living in Latvia have expressed a wish to repatriate to Russia.

• European Court of Human Rights has striken the application of the Sisojevs family out of the list of cases

Yesterday, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decided to strike the application of the former soviet militarist Arkadijs Sisojevs’ family out of its list of cases. The complainant believed that Latvia had violated the Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights by refusing to grant to them the status of permanent residents. The ECHR took the view that the problems that the applicants had experienced following the cancellation of their initial residence permits had stemmed to a large extent from their own actions. According to the Court, Sisojevs were informed that their conduct registering their residence in both Russia and Latvia without informing the relevant Latvian authorities was illegal. The former military of the Soviet army Arkadijs Sisojevs and his family arrived in Latvia in 1960ies and their two daughters were born in Latvia. After the re-established of Latvia’s independence, members of the Sisojevs family became stateless person and received the residence permit in Latvia. In 1995 the members of the Sisojev family were excluded form the permanent residents’ register when it became known that the complainants, who were using passports of the former USSR, had registered their residence also in Russia. The representative of the Latvian Government before International Human Rights Organisations Inga Reine believes that the Grand Chamber’s decision is very important since it reveals the shortcomings of the previous ECHR’s decision interfering into Latvia’s rights to decide on its residents’ status. Inga Reine has pointed to the fact that the state has explained to Sisojevs’ family how they could regularise their status already in 2003.

Yesterday, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decided to strike the application of the former soviet militarist Arkadijs Sisojevs family out of its list of cases. The complainant believed that Latvia had violated the Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights by refusing to grant to them the status of permanent residents. The ECHR took the view that the problems that the applicants had experienced following the cancellation of their initial residence permits had stemmed to a large extent from their own actions. According to the Court, Sisojevs were informed that their conduct registering their residence in both Russia and Latvia without informing the relevant Latvian authorities was illegal. The former military of the Soviet army Arkadijs Sisojevs and his family arrived in Latvia in 1960ies and their two daughters were born in Latvia. After the re-established of Latvias independence, members of the Sisojevs family became stateless person and received the residence permit in Latvia. In 1995 the members of the Sisojev family were excluded form the permanent residents register when it became known that the complainants, who were using passports of the former USSR, had registered their residence also in Russia. The representative of the Latvian Government before International Human Rights Organisations Inga Reine believes that the Grand Chambers decision is very important since it reveals the shortcomings of the previous ECHRs decision interfering into Latvias rights to decide on its residents status. Inga Reine has pointed to the fact that the state has explained to Sisojevs family how they could regularise their status already in 2003. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Chas, Telegraf

• Performing arts competition in the framework of festival Tatyanas Day

Chas reports on the performing arts competition on the theme ‘Person and Nature in Russian Music which has taken place in the framework of the festival Tatyanas Day organized by the Latvian Association for Support of Schools with Russian Language (LAShOR) in Riga last week.

• Diena on prevention of racist attacks
• Official of the Office of the Citizenship and Migration Affairs is suspected of taking a bribe
• Article calling for Russians more active participation in defending their rights

Diena prints articles on the racist attack on two Somalis and on the possible measures to prevent racist crimes. According to Diena, two Somalis who were recently attacked by several persons presumably skinheads in the centre of Riga are afraid of next possible assaults. The Vice President of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance Nils Muiznieks has pointed to two possible measures to prevent racially motivated assaults which have not been effectively applied in Latvia so far - sentencing to imprisonment and the polices preventive work with skinheads. The head of the Riga municipal police informs about the placing of video surveillance cameras in several places in Riga. However, the Chair of the Afrolatvian Association Christopher Ejugbo believes that the number of surveillance cameras is quite small. According to the press secretary of the State Security Police Kristine Apse – Krumina, there are several groups of skinheads being under the observation of the police. The official also points to the contacts of these groups with several radical political and civic organisations.

Chas reports that the prosecutor has brought a charge against a senior expert of the Ventspils department of the Office of the Citizenship and Migration Affairs for his alleged taking a bribe of amount Ls400 (EUR570) from a person willing to postpone his residence permit in Latvia.

Chas features an article by a columnist condemning passivity of many Russians in protests against education reform and calling the representatives of the Russian community to increase efforts in defending their interests.

• Life of a Romani woman who won the first-ever ethnic discrimination case in Latvia

 

Diena features a comprehensive story of a Romani woman who last year May won a case against a private company that refused her job because of her ethnicity. The court established the fact of ethnic discrimination. The newspaper provides a detailed description of a case and notes that although the woman won the case, she still has not succeeded in finding a job.