Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

NATO Parliamentary Assembly Committee will visit to investigate the situation of Russian speakers in Latvia and Estonia

NATO Parliamentary Assembly Committee will visit to investigate the situation of Russian speakers in Latvia and Estonia

Reduction of naturalisation fee for several categories of naturalisation applicants

The parliamentary Education, Culture and Science Committee meets with the head of the Naturalisation Board

Speaker of Knesset attends conference Jews in a Changing World in Riga

The parliamentary Human Rights Committee rejects proposals of FHRUL to amend the Law on Education

Latvian language proficiency of Russian pupils insufficient for higher studies

Appeals of minority representatives to support Latvias accession to the EU

Tomorrow court will make decision on the liquidation of the National Bolshevik organisation Victory

A delegation of the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (consisting of deputies from 17 states) is planning to investigate the situation of Russian speakers in Latvia and Estonia next week. The Committee will meet with the Minister of Education and Science, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration, the Head of the Naturalisation Board, representatives of NGOs and some parliament committees and will visit two minority schools. Lauku Avize, Chas

Yesterday the government approved the proposal of the Naturalisation Board to reduce naturalisation fee from 10 to 3 lats for low-income persons, unemployed, pensioners, disabled persons, families with more than two children and full-time students. Lauku Avize, Chas, Telegraf

Yesterday the Saeima Committee of Education, Culture and Science met with the leadership of the Naturalisation Board to discuss the complaint of three participants in the Latvian language courses for naturalisation candidates in which they expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the courses. Some Committee members have expressed dissatisfaction with the work of Naturalisation Board, stressing that many naturalised citizens do not know enough Latvian language. Lauku Avize, Chas

The Speaker of the Knesset Reuven Rivlin is participating in the conference Jews in a Changing World held in Riga. Vilis Kristopans, Chairperson of the Saeima National Security Committee, sees a connection between the visit of the Knesset representative andthe act of vandalism in the New Jewish cemetery. Ruta Marjasha, the Latvian representative to the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance,says that foreign media has not yet reported on the vandalism case, but predicts that after this conference the news could spread more widely. Rigas Balss, Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Lauku Avize, Chas, Telegraf

The Saeima Human Rights Committee has rejected proposals of the party For Human Rights in the United Latvia to amend the Law on Education. Lauku Avize, Chas, Vechernaya Riga

Chas writes on the report of the Ministry of Education and Science on general education, which indicates that students of Russian-language schools have insufficient Latvian language skills to continue their studies in Latvian.

Calls for a yes vote in the referendum on Latvias accession to the EU are issued by the Synod of the Latvian Orthodox Church, the Head of the Board of Jewish communities, and the Head of the Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies. Twenty well-known minority representatives signed an appeal to minority populations to support Latvia accession to the EU. Diena, Chas, Vesti Segodnya

The last (third) court session reviewing the case submitted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs about the liquidation of the extremist National-Bolshevik organisation Victory will be held tomorrow. Vesti Segodnya, Chas

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• Russian experts will continue discussion of Latvian minority education
• Riga municipal police intensifies patrol near the New Jewish cemetery
• Vesti Segodnya reports about the draft law On Stateless Persons
• Concept for the establishment of the State Language Agency
• Book Russia and the Baltic States published in Russia
• Conflict between leader of Peoples Harmony Party and leader of the new party BITE

Media reports about the visit of experts from Russia to Latvia to discuss minority education reform.

Media reports about the visit of experts from Russia to Latvia to discuss minority education reform. Diena informs that the experts and officials of the Ministry of Education and Science in Latvia decided to continue discussions about education reform in November, debating about education of minority school teachers. Diena, Lauku avize, Chas

Riga municipal police has intensified the patrol around the New Jewish cemetery after an act of vandalism. A police working group is working under the assumption that thatthe perpetrators are young delinquents. According to the party For Human Rights in United Latvia, neo-Nazism exists in Latvia because of support of some representatives of ruling parties.

Riga municipal police has intensified the patrol around the New Jewish cemetery after an act of vandalism. A police working group is working under the assumption that thatthe perpetrators are young delinquents. According to the party For Human Rights in United Latvia, neo-Nazism exists in Latvia because of support of some representatives of ruling parties. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Lauku Avize, Vechernaya Riga, Chas, Telegraf

Yesterday a Committee of the Cabinet of Ministers examined the draft law On Stateless Persons. The draft law defines stateless persons as those who are not citizens of any state and are not the subject of the law “On the Status of Former Citizens of the USSR Who are Not Citizens of Latvia or Any Other State” or have lost this status in accordance with that law. According to the newspaper article, there are 227 stateless persons in Latvia.

Yesterday a Committee of the Cabinet of Ministers examined the draft law On Stateless Persons. The draft law defines stateless persons as those who are not citizens of any state and are not the subject of the law On the Status of Former Citizens of the USSR Who are Not Citizens of Latvia or Any Other State or have lost this status in accordance with that law. According to the newspaper article, there are 227 stateless persons in Latvia. Vesti Segodnya

The Committee of the Cabinet of Ministers has approved a conception about the establishment of new Agency of State Language to promote the development of Latvian language.

The Committee of the Cabinet of Ministers has approved a conception about the establishment of new Agency of State Language to promote the development of Latvian language. Vesti Segodnya criticizes this decision, pointing to the necessity to allocate 77,000 lats in next years state budget and the allegedly unclear functions of this institution. Vesti Segodnya

Telegraf features an article about the book Russia and the Baltic States, published by the Institute of Sociology of Russian Academy of Sciences. The author of the book reviews the existence of two informational spaces in Latvia and Lithuania and issues of relations between Russia and the Baltic States, including, russophobia.

Russian-language newspapers write about the conflict between Janis Jurkans, the Head of People’s Solidarity Party and Jakov Pliner, the leader of the new party BITE (Latvian acronym for “Free Choice in People’s Europe”).

Russian-language newspapers write about the conflict between Janis Jurkans, the Head of Peoples Solidarity Party and Jakov Pliner, the leader of the new party BITE (Latvian acronym for Free Choice in Peoples Europe). Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya, Vechernaya Riga

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• Vandalism at Jewish cemetary
• International conference The Israel into the fluid world
• Russian language newspapers continues discussion about education reform
• Criticism of Ministry of Justice web-page information on the legal status of non-citizens
• Polish Culture Days at Pasiene

The New Jewish cemetery was vandalized on the night of September12th.

The New Jewish cemetery was vandalized on the night of September12th. Arkadij Suharenko, the Head of Council of Jewish Community, stresses that this anti-Semitic act of vandalism could be motivated by a desire to frustrate the good relations between the Jewish community and the Latvian government and therefore should be perceived also as an act against the state itself. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Rigas Balss, Telegraf, Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Vechernaya Riga

The fifth international conference “Jews in a Changing World” will take place tomorrow at the University of Latvia. The participants of the conference will discuss the issues of the Holocaust ands Jewish culture in the Baltic states, as well as the ties between Baltic Jews and Israel.

The fifth international conference Jews in a Changing World will take place tomorrow at the University of Latvia. The participants of the conference will discuss the issues of the Holocaust ands Jewish culture in the Baltic states, as well as the ties between Baltic Jews and Israel. Neatkariga Rita Avize

Russian-language newspapers continue discussion about the education reform, reporting opinions of Russian experts.

Russian-language newspapers continue discussion about the education reform, reporting opinions of Russian experts. Chas informs about the decision of Cesis local government to not offer Russian-language education for first graders. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Vechernaya Riga

Vesti Segodnya features a critical article about information published on the web-page of the Ministry of Justice regarding the legal status of Latvias non-citizens after EU accession.

Neatkariga Rita Avize features an article about the Days of Polish Culture at Pasiene, the rural municipality in eastern part of Latvia.

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• Lauku Avize about amendments to Law on Education
• Interview with Karlis Sadurskis, Minister of Education and Science
• Chas on Russia and minority rights in Latvia
• Visiting Russian experts on education reform
• Interview with Egils Levits, representative of Latvia at European Court of Human Rights
• Article on Latvian language and minority issues

Lauku Avize reports the decision of the Saeima to abolish the education law provision that stipulates that instruction in all state-funded secondary schools and vocational schools should be only in Latvian starting in 2004. The Cabinet of Ministers will determine the proportion of state language vs other language.

Lauku Avize interviews Karlis Sadurskis, Minister of Education and Science. The minister criticizes opponents of the education reform and mentions that a Latvian delegation recently provided a report to the UN Committee [on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination] in Geneva, and did not receive any negative feedback in the area of education. The minister is not concerned about the ratification of the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, because he believes that Latvia fulfils all requirements in the field of education, and then some. The question of ethnic integration, according to him, is already taken off the agenda.

Russia has intensified discussion of minority rights problems in Latvia and Estonia before these states become members of EU, according to

Russia has intensified discussion of minority rights problems in Latvia and Estonia before these states become members of EU, according to Chas. According to the newspaper, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is concerned about the education reform in Latvia, the politicisation of economical cooperation between the countries and the decision of the Baltic states governments to provide territory for the military infrastructures of NATO.

Vesty Segodnya interviews visiting Russian experts Dmitry Ivaschintsov , the coordinator of International Association of Russian Culture and Igor Udalov, the legal consultant, about education reform in Latvia. The experts agree that the reform is not ready for implementation and may have to be postponed. They also express concern about the future of the Russian minority in Latvia.

Neatkariga Rita Avize interviews Egils Levits, the representative of Latvia at European Court of Human Rights. Levits believes that 256 submissions form residents of Latvia over the last year is an moderate number and does not indicate that there would be a large amount of human rights violations.

Diena prints an article by Aigars Kimenis, independent publicist, on national, Latvian-language and minority issues in connection with Latvias accession to the EU.

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• Deputies of European Parliament about the situation of non-citizens in the EU
• Ministry of Education and Science discussion with Russian experts about minority schools in Latvia
• Commercial broadcasters plan more programs in minority languages
• Boris Tsilevich, MP of Peoples Harmony Party, will report to the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe about the situation of minority languages in Brussels

Two deputies of the European Parliament – Christopher Beazley and Per Stenmark – answer questions the situation of non-citizens and minorities after Latvia joins the EU.  Both deputies are supportive of the law and procedures of naturalization in Latvia, but Beazley expresses the view that some steps should be taken to facilitate naturalization for elderly people.  The deputies also touch on issues of the role of minority languages and the school reform in Latvia.

Two deputies of the European Parliament – Christopher Beazley and Per Stenmark – answer questions the situation of non-citizens and minorities after Latvia joins the EU. Both deputies are supportive of the law and procedures of naturalization in Latvia, but Beazley expresses the view that some steps should be taken to facilitate naturalization for elderly people. The deputies also touch on issues of the role of minority languages and the school reform in Latvia. Chas

Russian-language newspapers write on the discussion on the education reform organized by the Ministry of Education and Science, in which experts from Russia also took part. Today the delegation of Russian experts will continue discussion about education reform with principals of minority schools.

Russian-language newspapers write on the discussion on the education reform organized by the Ministry of Education and Science, in which experts from Russia also took part. Today the delegation of Russian experts will continue discussion about education reform with principals of minority schools. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

As a consequence of the Constitutional Court ruling abolishing the norm in the Law on Radio and Television that no more than 25% of broadcasts in commercial electronic media may be in another language than the state language, nine radio stations and three television stations are planning to broadcast more programs in minority languages. The changes will probably take place in October, when the new National Board of Radio and Television will be confirmed.

As a consequence of the Constitutional Court ruling abolishing the norm in the Law on Radio and Television that no more than 25% of broadcasts in commercial electronic media may be in another language than the state language, nine radio stations and three television stations are planning to broadcast more programs in minority languages. The changes will probably take place in October, when the new National Board of Radio and Television will be confirmed. Chas

Boris Tsilevich, MP of Latvia from the People’s Harmony Party, has been appointed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to make a report on the situation of minority languages in Brussels, where there have been complaints that the rights of Flemish speakers are not properly observed in the predominantly French-speaking Brussels.

Boris Tsilevich, MP of Latvia from the Peoples Harmony Party, has been appointed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to make a report on the situation of minority languages in Brussels, where there have been complaints that the rights of Flemish speakers are not properly observed in the predominantly French-speaking Brussels. Vesti Segodnya