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.

• Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Anhelita Kamenska
• Saeima’s Legal Committee changed and approved the draft amendments stipulating punishment for denial of occupation

Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Anhelita Kamenska. Regarding the possible transition of education in ethnic minority schools into Latvian language Ms Kamenska says that there should be not only political but also logical justification for such reform. Ms Kamenska highlights that presently there are no single authoritative independent researches which would show that situation with bilingual education is so poor that as a result graduates of ethnic minority schools are uncompetitive. On the contrary, there are studies showing that Latvian language proficiency of ethnic minority students have sufficiently increased during the past 10 years. Ms Kamenska also believes that such reforms should be analysed with a view on human rights taking into account one of the basic principles - effective participation of ethnic minorities in elaboration of issues directly affecting them.  Ms Kamenska believes that the Ombudsman by his position regarding  bilingual education lost the trust of ethnic minorities. Anhelita Kamenska also criticizes too strict regulations on usage of state and foreign languages and believes that the language is not the matter of politics but it is just a communication tool. Ms Kamenska also believes that political rhetoric in Latvia do not reflect real mood of the society and the average Latvian resident is much more moderate than average politician. According to Ms Kamenska, Latvian non-citizens should be granted voting rights in local elections as they have close ties with the state, but at the same time, it is wrong to maintain the illusions that Latvian citizenship will be granted to non-citizens automatically.

Despite the fact that last week the governing coalition decided to suspend the draft amendments to the Criminal Law stipulating punishment for public denial of occupation, yesterday, the Saeima’s Legal Committee made some changes in the text and approved the draft amendments. The first version stipulated punishment for public denial of USSR and Nazi German aggression against Latvia, for justification, glorification or for malicious, rude or offensive attempt to question the fact of aggression. The phrase “malicious, rude or offensive attempt” of the old draft version is replaced by “gross trivialization” of aggression in the new draft version. As reported, such draft amendments were criticized by the Security Police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Vesti Segodnya