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

• State Language Centre requested the State Police to remove booklets printed in Russian language
• Leader of an organisation “Union against Nazism” Janis Kuzins appealed the decision of the Central Elections Committee on referendum
• Candidate to the post of the Mayor of Riga Baiba Broka: Riga should be ethnic Latvian

Inspectors of the State Language Centre (SLC) visited the central office of the State Police and requested to remove booklets printed in Russian language.  The booklets in Russian provided information about damage of drug addiction and information for victims of crimes and were placed in information stands alongside the same booklets in Latvian language. The booklets also contained other useful information regarding residents’ security and were printed using the EU funds. However, according to the language inspectors, provision of information in foreign languages at public spots of the state institutions is a violation of the rules of the Cabinet of Ministers. Such information can be provided only on individual basis by special request of residents. Earlier, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs received the same remark from the language inspectors and removed all information in foreign languages from public spots despite the fact that the majority of its clients are foreigners. The Minister of Interior Rihards Kozlovskis does not agree with the SLC and believes information about state security should be provided also in foreign languages. Vesti Segodnya

Leader of an organisation “Union against Nazism” Janis Kuzins appealed in the court the decision of the Central Elections Committee (CEC) to cancel the next stage of initiation of referendum on non-citizens. Mr Kuzins believes that the CEC exceeded its authority taking such decision. It should be noted that Mr Kuzins submitted the appeal without consulting with the initiators of the referendum. Vesti Segodnya

Telegraf and Neatkariga print interview with a candidate to the post of the Mayor of Riga from the nationalists’ union Baiba Broka. Mrs Broka believes Riga has a lack of two things – national ideology and national identity. Mrs Broka believes Riga should be a state symbol and therefore should be ethnic Latvian. Mrs Broka also criticizes the Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs for taking part in 9 May celebrations (Victory Day) in Riga and organising concerts with participation of Russian musicians during the days of Riga.

Yours sincerely,
Integration Monitor

• Ombudsman Juris Jansons: citizenship is not a Christmas sale
• Vesti Segodnya interviews an academician Juris Rozenvlads
• Discussion on existence of Russian culture in Latvia conducted in Riga

Latvian high officials support the decision taken by the Central Elections Committee (CEC) to cancel the next stage of initiation of referendum on non-citizens. The Speaker of the Saeima Solvita Aboltina believes thus the CEC prevented instability in the country. The Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis agrees with the Speaker and believes the CEC’s decision will remove tension in society. The Ombudsman Juris Jansons, in his turn, stated citizenship is not a Christmas sale and persons should earn it. Chas

An academician Juris Rozenvlads believes the decision taken by the Central Elections Committee to cancel to next stage of initiation of referendum on non-citizens is a blow not only for its initiators but also for Latvian democracy. At the same time, Mr Rozenvalds does not support that ethnic issues are solved on referendum, because those should be solved trough public and political discussions searching for compromises. Mr Rozenvalds believes that reaction of the society on both referendums – on status of Russian language and on non-citizens would be different if the question would be put not so radical. Instead of demanding to grant Russian language status of state language it could be asked to grant Russian language some specific status instead of foreign language status in Latvia as it has now, but regarding non-citizens it could be asked to grant them voting rights in municipal elections as Estonia did years ago – believes Mr. Roznevalds. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya reports about discussion on existence of Russian culture in Latvia outside the politics and state funding. Participants of the discussion – Russian cultural figures, professors, teachers, representatives of NGOs – discussed their vision on development and promotion of Russian culture.

• Central Elections Committee refused to conduct state funded collection of signatures in support of referendum on non-citizens
• Administrative Regional Court upheld a decision on disciplinary punishment imposed to a police officer who refused to speak Russian

The Central Elections Committee (CEC) refused to conduct state funded collection of signatures in support of referendum on granting Latvian citizenship to non-citizens. 6 of 9 the CEC members voted against initiation of the second referendum stage, 2 members – in favour, while the head of the CEC Ainars Cimdars abstained of voting. Before taking the decision, the CEC asked various legal institutions and experts to provide their opinion about the draft law. Although the experts’ opinions were ambiguous, the CEC acknowledged the draft law is not fully developed and contradicts the Latvian Constitution and Declaration of Latvian independence. The majority of the CEC members also concluded that the draft law will sufficiently widen number of citizens thus it may lead to denial of the fact of occupation of Latvia and question principle of continuity of Latvian state. The initiators of the draft law are planning to appeal the CEC decision in the court. Telegraf, Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga

The Administrative Regional Court upheld a decision on disciplinary punishment imposed to a police officer who refused to speak Russian to a Russian-speaking caller and did not register his complaint. The caller reported the police officer about a thief attempting to enter his apartment; however, the police officer spoke to the caller only in Latvian and stated in Latvia you should speak Latvian. Later, the police officer argued he is not proficient in Russian language. However, the court did not find it sufficient explanation for refusing a resident’s claim as the call could be forwarded to another colleague who speaks Russian. Chas

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

• MPs discussed a draft law on the status of participants of WWII
• Russian language schools use various methods for patriotic education

Yesterday, the Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee discussed a draft law and declaration on the status of participants of WWII. The draft law would equate those veterans, citizens of Latvia, who served in military units of the Soviet Union or Germany from 1 September 1939 till 8 May 1945. Thus, veterans of the Red Army will have the same benefits as Latvian national partisans already have. The draft law was elaborated by an initiative of the President of Latvia Andris Berzins on reconciliation of war veterans. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

 Vesti Segodnya prints an article on initiatives of Russian language schools for patriotic education of students. Schools elaborate their own teaching materials on patriotic education, conduct weeks of citizenship, state language and other events with an aim to form positive attitude towards the state and to learn more about Latvia.

Yours sincerely,
Integration Monitor

• LTV7 aired a new show in Russian language
• Director of the Latvian Institute Karina Petersone: Latvia needs its own channel in Russian language
• Security Police wants to close Linerman’s party “For Native Language”

Vesti Segodnya reports that the state funded TV channel LTV7 started to broadcast a new show in Russian language. This is the first live TV show in Russian language on a state channel. Until this, LTV7 aired only live news broadcasts in Russian. The National Electronic Media Council allocated additional funding for program in Russian language in order to attract Russian speaking residents and to become more competitive to commercial TV channels.

Director of the state agency Latvian Institute Karina Petersone believes Latvia should produce its own state TV channel in Russian language. Mrs Petersone believes such channel would provide not-biased information about Latvia to Russian speakers. According to Mrs Petersone, the Latvian Institute tries to persuade the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Saeima about such idea. Neatkariga

The Security Police (SP) informed the Registry of Enterprises about violations establishing the political party “For Native Language” whose leader is Vladimirs Lindermans. The SP investigated that the party cheated with the number of members who took part in the establishing congress. The SP asked the Registry to review its decision on the party’s registration taken in 2010. The head of the Registry Ringolds Balodis in an interview with Diena explained that the head notary cannot cancel the decision of the notary who approved the registration. Therefore, such decision can be appealed only in the court. Vladimirs Lindermans, in his turn, stated the case is fabricated trying to revenge him for the initiation of referendum on the status of Russian language in Latvia. Diena, Chas, Vesti Segodnya