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.

• Diena comments on reports on allegedly racially motivated assaults
• Saeima Legal Affairs Committee supports amendments to the Criminal Law

Diena comments on the fact that there have been a number of reports about allegedly racially motivated assaults committed in Riga. The newspaper argues that the state hinders to take any measures to combat manifestations of racism. The daily stresses that the adoption of the anti-discrimination law as well as the respective amendments to the Criminal Law, the Civil Law of Latvia and the Code of Administrative Violations in Saeima has been delayed. The author of the article also quotes the Minister for Social Integration Ainars Latkovskis who has stated that the best way to deal with racial violence is education of society, while the Director of the National Human Rights Office Olafs Bruvers has argued that ‘individual incidents do not show that we have racism or anti-Semitism here.

The Saeima Legal Affairs Committee supported amendments to the Criminal Law, proposed by the For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM (FF/LNIM). The amendments stipulate the introduction of penalty for persons who have repeatedly violated the procedure on holding and running of public events. According to the amendments court may impose the following penalties for breaching the procedure: imprisonment up to 2 years, arrest, forced labour or fine in the amount of 40 minimal monthly salaries. The head of FF/LNIM parliamentary group Maris Grinblats argued that the amendments would provide instruments to deal with those who ‘find loopholes in legislation’ referring to protest actions against the minority education reform organised  by the Headquarters’ for the Defence of Russian-Language Schools.

The Saeima Legal Affairs Committee supported amendments to the Criminal Law, proposed by the For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM (FF/LNIM). The amendments stipulate the introduction of penalty for persons who have repeatedly violated the procedure on holding and running of public events. According to the amendments court may impose the following penalties for breaching the procedure: imprisonment up to 2 years, arrest, forced labour or fine in the amount of 40 minimal monthly salaries. The head of FF/LNIM parliamentary group Maris Grinblats argued that the amendments would provide instruments to deal with those who ‘find loopholes in legislation referring to protest actions against the minority education reform organised by the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian-Language Schools. Latvijas Avize