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.

• Latvijas Avize blames the Ombudsman’s Office for discrimination of ethnic Latvians
• Speaker of the Saeima Solvita Aboltina does not believe that Russian language is infringed in Latvia
• Days of Russian culture to be conducted in Latvia

Latvijas Avize blames the Ombudsman’s Office for discrimination of ethnic Latvians. According to the newspapers, one of the requirements for the post of lawyer in the Ombudsman’s Office is good Russian language proficiency. In opinion of MPs, representatives of the nationalists’ union Vineta Porina and Inara Murniece (head of the Saeima’s Human Rights and Social Affairs Committee) such requirements are discriminatory for those ethnic Latvian who are not proficient in Russian. The Ombudsman’s Office, in its turn, argues that 60% of its clients are Russian speakers, therefore, requirements for Russian language proficiency in reasonable.

The Speaker of the Saeima Solvita Aboltina in an interview with Latvian Radio 4 stated she was very upset about the conduction of the referendum on the status of Russian language in Latvia. Mrs Aboltina does not believe that Russian language is infringed in Latvia, but believes that the referendum was an action initiated by politicians in order to take away the attention of the society from the more important issues. Mrs Aboltina also stated that Latvia was established by representatives of various ethnic minorities in 1918 and also ethnic minorities took part in the restoration of Latvian independence in 1991. Chas

Chas and Vesti Segodnya reports about the Days of Russian culture planned to be held from 23 May to 6 June in Latvia. Organisers of the event believe it raises the cultural level of the society and positions of Latvia as a country which respects all ethnic minority groups.