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

• MP Yakov Pliner left the Peoples Harmony Party
• Chas reports about the visit of Mr. Paul-Erik Rummo, Minister for Population and Ethnic Affairs of Estonia
• Riga City Council denied request resubmitted by the opponents of the education reform, to organise protest meeting

MP Yakov Pliner left the People’s Harmony Party. Yakov Pliner will be the Chairman of the board of the new political party “Free Choice in People’s Europe” (Brîva izvçle tautu Eiropâ, Latvian acronym BITE). The party will join the group of MPs of the political coalition For Human Rights in United Latvia.

MP Yakov Pliner left the Peoples Harmony Party. Yakov Pliner will be the Chairman of the board of the new political party Free Choice in Peoples Europe (Brîva izvçle tautu Eiropâ, Latvian acronym BITE). The party will join the group of MPs of the political coalition For Human Rights in United Latvia. Diena, Neatkariga, Telegraf, Vechernaya Riga, Vesti Segodnya

Chas reports about the visit to Riga of the Minister for Population and Ethnic Affairs of Estonia, Mr. Paul-Erik Rummo. Praising the achievements of Naturalisation Board of Latvia, he noted that Latvia and Estonia have many common problems with regards to integration. Minister informed that in Estonia, in the regions where there are many Russian-speakers, they officially have the right to speak Russian at the municipal level. Telegraf

Riga City Council denied the request, resubmitted by the Latvian Association for the Support for Russian Schools, to organise the protest meeting against education reform on September 4th near the monument of the Latvian poet Janis Rainis, motivating this rejection with the argument that five MPs of Solidarity party plan to organise a meeting with their electorate on the same date and at the same location.

Riga City Council denied the request, resubmitted by the Latvian Association for the Support for Russian Schools, to organise the protest meeting against education reform on September 4th near the monument of the Latvian poet Janis Rainis, motivating this rejection with the argument that five MPs of Solidarity party plan to organise a meeting with their electorate on the same date and at the same location. Chas

 

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

• Naturalisation Board organises Latvian language training free of charge
• Latvian nationalistic organisation submitted a formal request not to allow the protest meeting against the education reform
• Interview with sociologist Renald Simonjan about the Russian-speakers in Latvia
• Article about the first study on the situation of Roma in Latvia
• Boris Tsilevich: the non-citizens will be able to travel within the EU without visas
• Chas continues discussion about the education reform

The Naturalisation Board invites people willing to acquire the citizenship to participate in Latvian language training free of charge. This year the training will be provided for 1400 persons and for the first time the training session will be financed from the state budget (50 000 LVL), additional funding is provided by the embassies of US, Norway and Sweden. It is planned that next year the training will be available for 2500 persons.

The Naturalisation Board invites people willing to acquire the citizenship to participate in Latvian language training free of charge. This year the training will be provided for 1400 persons and for the first time the training session will be financed from the state budget (50 000 LVL), additional funding is provided by the embassies of US, Norway and Sweden. It is planned that next year the training will be available for 2500 persons. Lauku Avize, Telegraf

Lauku Avize prints the text of the formal request submitted to the Minister of Interior Affairs by the Latvian nationalistic organisation All for Latvia! asking not to allow the unapproved protest meeting against the education reform on September 4th near the monument of the Latvian poet Janis Rainis.

Lauku Avize features an interview with sociologist Renald Simonjan, the director of the Russian Academy of Sciences Sociology Institutes Centre for Relations between Russia and Baltic states. He believes that the problems of Russian-speakers discrimination in Latvia could have been solved if the Russian President Boris Yeltsin, signing the agreement on Latvias independence recognition, has asked to grant the citizenship to Russian-speakers living in Latvia. The sociologist hopes that after Latvias joining EU and NATO Latvian government will liberalize the Citizenship Law and change the attitude towards the Russian Schools.

Vesti Segodnya features an article about the first study on the situation of Roma in Latvia conducted by the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies. The newspaper provides information about the principal conclusions of the study: that direct and indirect discrimination against Roma exists in Latvia, that 95% of Roma are unemployed and more than 40% of Roma have fourth grade or lower education.

According to Boris Tsilevich, MP of People’s Solidarity Party, after Latvia’s joining the EU, the non-citizens of Latvia will have to obtain visas for travel within the EU only if the Latvian government does not sign the Schengen agreement.

According to Boris Tsilevich, MP of Peoples Solidarity Party, after Latvias joining the EU, the non-citizens of Latvia will have to obtain visas for travel within the EU only if the Latvian government does not sign the Schengen agreement. Vesti Segodnya

Chas features articles about education reform. While Riga City Councils Education, Youth and Sports Departments officials announce that the education reform is in progress, and that Russian schools have to present their individual plans about the enforcement of the language norms till October 15th, the walls of Daugavpils municipality buildings have accrued appeals by national-bolshevics to the parents, asking to ignore the school at September 2nd as a protest against the school reform. The newspaper emphasizes that according to the feed-back from its readers, parents require rights to chose the language of education at any leveal of schooling.

 

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

• Information on the status of non-citizens after Latvias EU membership
• Heads of four Saeima Committees complain about the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration
• Latvian Association for the Support for Russian Schools resubmitted the request for permission to hold a public meeting on September 4th
• Leaders of the NGO Human Rights Committee about the UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination expert recommendations for Latvia

In the special column before the EU referendum the newspaper

In the special column before the EU referendum the newspaper Diena provides reply to the question what will happen with non-citizens after Latvias EU membership. The Special Task Minister for Societal Integration Nils Muiznieks explains that non-citizens will not automatically obtain the status of citizens and they will not have the right to vote. According to the EU directive on citizens of third states the non-citizens will have the status of the third state citizens residing in the EU country for a long term. People who reside in a country for five years period, who have legal income and health insurance will obtain the status of permanent resident. Registering as long-term residents these individuals will have the right to free movement, right to work, social insurance and education. To travel within the EU non-citizens will have to obtain visas except for those countries that have signed agreements allowing non-visa regime (currently Estonia, Lithuania and Denmark).

Lauku Avize features comments by Ina Druviete, the Head of the Saeima Human Rights Committee, Janis Strazdins, the Head of the Saeima Education, Culture and Science Committee, Inese Vaidere, the Head of the Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee and Anta Rugate, the Head of the Saeima Committee on Citizenship Law, who all consider that Nils Muiznieks, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration has not provided replies to their questions about the Secretariats work.

The Latvian Association for the Support for Russian Schools resubmitted the request to the Riga City Council to allow the meeting on September 4th near the monument of Latvian poet Janis Rainis. Taking into account the objections to the first request, which was denied, the Association informed that there will be fewer participants and that organisers will install a fence that will bar the participants from getting close closer than 50 metres to the Prosecutor’s General building.

The Latvian Association for the Support for Russian Schools resubmitted the request to the Riga City Council to allow the meeting on September 4th near the monument of Latvian poet Janis Rainis. Taking into account the objections to the first request, which was denied, the Association informed that there will be fewer participants and that organisers will install a fence that will bar the participants from getting close closer than 50 metres to the Prosecutors General building. Lauku Avize, Chas, Vesti Segodnya

During a press conference the leaders of the NGO Human Rights Committee Tatjana Zdanoka and Miroslavs Mitrofanovs informed about the United Nations Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination experts recommendations for Latvia. According to Tatjana Zdanoka and Miroslavs Mitrofanovs experts recommend to reduce the list of professions that are available only for citizens, to give the rights to vote in municipal elections for long-term resident non-citizens in Latvia, and to postpone the education reform.

During a press conference the leaders of the NGO Human Rights Committee Tatjana Zdanoka and Miroslavs Mitrofanovs informed about the United Nations Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination experts recommendations for Latvia. According to Tatjana Zdanoka and Miroslavs Mitrofanovs experts recommend to reduce the list of professions that are available only for citizens, to give the rights to vote in municipal elections for long-term resident non-citizens in Latvia, and to postpone the education reform. Chas, Telegraf

 

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

• Court dismissed the case against Riga City Council decision to refuse the protest meeting on September 4th
• Valery Ageshin, MP of Peoples Solidarity Party, on integration issues
• Interview with Rafi Haradzajan, the Head of the Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies

Riga North district court dismissed the case asking to cancel the decision of the Riga City Council to refuse the protest meeting at the monument to the Latvian poet Janis Rainis on  September 4th. The member of the Riga City Council Genady Kotov who had submitted the case, said that the court’s decision will be re-appealed. He announced that if the agreement will not be reached the protest meeting will be organised as “a meeting of members of parliament with the electorate”. The Headquarter of the Opponents to the education reform presumably will discuss other possible meeting locations proposed by the Riga City council.

Riga North district court dismissed the case asking to cancel the decision of the Riga City Council to refuse the protest meeting at the monument to the Latvian poet Janis Rainis onSeptember 4th. The member of the Riga City Council Genady Kotov who had submitted the case, said that the courts decision will be re-appealed. He announced that if the agreement will not be reached the protest meeting will be organised as a meeting of members of parliament with the electorate. The Headquarter of the Opponents to the education reform presumably will discuss other possible meeting locations proposed by the Riga City council. Diena, Lauku Avize, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Vechernaya Riga

Chas features an article by Valery Ageshin, MP of Peoples Solidarity Party, about the integration issues. He believes that Latvian development will be slow down if the alienation between Latvian speaking and Russian speaking communities continues. He stresses that there are some indicators of societal integration in Latvia: majority of population considers Latvia their motherland, there is united legislation, constitution, state institutions, two languages command, high numbers of mixed marriages, shared social problems, shared holidays such as New Year and Ligo, which are celebrated by the whole society, shared cultural events. Valery Ageshin considers integration among the youth the most successful.

Rigas Balss features an interview with Rafi Haradzajan, the Head of the Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies about the activities of the Association, the problems of societal integration and the conflict with the Secretariat of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration.

 

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

• Latvian Association for the Support for Russian Schools will not participate in the unapproved protest meeting against education reform
• Two-day conference Russians in Latvia – Russians in Europe

The Head of the Latvian Association for the Support for Russian Schools Igor Pimenov announced that the Association is not planning to support the unapproved protest meeting organised by the Headquarters for the protection of Russian Schools on 4th of September near the monument of the Latvian poet Janis Rainis. In case the court will not cancel the decision of the Riga City Council to refuse the protest meeting on 4th of September, the Association will resubmit a request to the Riga City Council to allow a meeting, taking into account the objections to the first request.

The Head of the Latvian Association for the Support for Russian Schools Igor Pimenov announced that the Association is not planning to support the unapproved protest meeting organised by the Headquarters for the protection of Russian Schools on 4th of September near the monument of the Latvian poet Janis Rainis. In case the court will not cancel the decision of the Riga City Council to refuse the protest meeting on 4th of September, the Association will resubmit a request to the Riga City Council to allow a meeting, taking into account the objections to the first request. Diena, Telegraf, Vesti Segondya

Russian-language newspapers report on the two-day conference “Russians in Latvia – Russians in Europe” organised by the NGO D.V.I.N.A. During the conference Boris Tsilevich, MP of People’s Solidarity Party and Sergei Dolgopolov, the vice-mayor of the Riga City Council, presented their opinions about the negative and positive aspects of Latvia’s EU membership.

Russian-language newspapers report on the two-day conference Russians in Latvia – Russians in Europe organised by the NGO D.V.I.N.A. During the conference Boris Tsilevich, MP of Peoples Solidarity Party and Sergei Dolgopolov, the vice-mayor of the Riga City Council, presented their opinions about the negative and positive aspects of Latvias EU membership. Telegraf, Chas, Vesti Segodnya