Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

Press Report

Press Report

The Open Society Institute (OSI) announced on Thursday in Brussels a report on the independence of court power in EU candidate countries, concluding that the political environment in Latvia does not promote the development of an independent court system. The institute's Pre-accession Process EU Monitoring: Minority Protection report also concluded that an independent court system has no support amongst politicians or society, and the authorities, especially the Justice Ministry, have retained wide influence in respect to administering court powers, funding and judge career development. The ministry also has wide decisive rights with many opportunities to unacceptably influence judge decisions - subordinating courts and specific judges.

BNS, Neatkariga

Latvian Supreme Court Thursday changed terrorism charges against three National Bolsheviks from Russia, who last November broke into St. Peter's church tower in Riga, against hooliganism and significantly reduced their jail terms. Sergey Solovey and Maksim Zhurkin, who according to a lower instance court verdict were sentenced to 15 years in jail, will have to serve six and five years jail terms respectively while Dmitry Gafarov who was under age at the time when the offence was committed was sentenced to one year jail term, so he could be set free in a month. BNS

Prime Minister Andris Berzins signed a decree today on setting up a task force to review the UN Human Rights Committee's decision on the case of Antonina Ignatane and drawing up proposals for implementing the decision. LETA learned at the State Chancellery's Press Department that the taskforce will be headed by Kristine Malinovska, the government's representative at international human rights organisations, the taskforce will include representatives of the premier's office, National Human Rights Office, Justice Ministry, Education and Science Ministry and Foreign Affairs Ministry. He also stated that the OSCE Mission to Latvia had fulfilled all tasks envisaged in the OSCE guidelines and the Mission should be closed by January 1, 2002. LETA, Latvijas Vestnesis

Finland believes that Latvia should focus on completing as much chapters in EU talks as possible during Belgian and Spanish presidency terms to ensure the Baltic state's successful integration in the organisation, said the Latvian foreign minister. Latvian foreign minister Indulis Berzins, currently in Helsinki, conveyed this opinion by Finland in a telephone interview to BNS. He said Finland had suggested that Latvia should move as fast as possible in pre-accession talks till the middle of the next year so that the most complicated chapters would be left last. BNS

Russian President Vladimir Putin participates in congress of Russian compatriots, calls on Russians residing abroad to return home. Putin said that currently, establishing good relations among public administration institutions, businessmen, cultural officials and Russian compatriots residing abroad is extremely important, aid in preserving national culture, defending Russian peoples rights and protecting them from discrimination also needs to be made more active. Also, special attention must be provided so that Russian schools and newspapers are not closed, so that Russians are able to learn from textbooks in Russian. Putin did not specify though what methods would be employed to achieve this, reports Diena. The newspaper says it is likely that a special governmental organisation will now deal in working out a policy for Russians residing abroad, since the president advised to set up one. LETA, BNS, Diena, Neatkariga, Vechernyaya Riga, Panorama Latvii, Chas, Vesti Segodnya

The joined position of Social Democrats and FF/LNNK for recalling of MP B.Cilevich from PACE has caused problems for Social Democrats and For Human Rights in United Latvia. Diena

The joined position of Social Democrats and FF/LNNK for recalling of MP B.Cilevich from PACE has caused problems for Social Democrats and For Human Rights in United Latvia. Diena

Russian-speaking newspaper

Russian-speaking newspaper Chas interviewed Russian Ambassador to Latvia I.Studennikov about his impressions at the Congress of Compatriots in Moscow. He told the journalist that Russian President V.Putin had clearly confirmed the intention of Russian government to follow the situation with Russian compatriots abroad and observation of their rights. He liked the speech of T.Zhdanok, Co-chairman of Latvian Human Rights Committee who spoke about the tasks for the Russian-speaking Diaspora in Latvia, their problems and gave a vivid description of the situation in Latvia.

Newspaper

Newspaper Vesti Segodnya writes that T.Zhdanok spoke about soft ethnic cleanings and forced naturalisation in Latvia.