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.

• Security Police knows the identities of the three men from Latvia taking part in the military actions on the side of Ukrainian separatists
• Latvijas Avize interviews a perennial politician, member of the political party “Concord” Aivars Kreituss

Latvijas Avize reports that identities of the three Russian speaking National Bolsheviks from Latvia who travelled to Eastern Ukraine in order to take part in the military actions on the side of Ukrainian separatists are known to the Security Police. Information about the three men from Latvia initially was published in a German newspaper Die Zeit. The three men also earlier were under the attention of the Security Police in connection with their activities in the National Bolsheviks movement and organising referendum on granting Russian language status of a state language in Latvia. Commenting the case, head of the Saeima’s Defence, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee Ainars Latkovskis said that people who join terrorists in Ukraine should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Latvijas Avize interviews a perennial politician, ex-Minister of Economics (1993) and of Finances (1995-1996), presently member of the political party “Concord” Aivars Kreituss. Mr Kreituss says that he became member of the “Concord” because of their left oriented programme as the only alternative to social democratic union. Mr. Kreituss believes that it is the final time to establish the real social democracy without any ethnic dimension. Commenting the situation in Ukraine and Crimea and attitude of Latvian residents towards it, Mr Kreituss says that residents can have different opinion on it, but it is important that all the residents and citizens are loyal towards Latvia as possible. He also believes that integration policy which existed so far has failed because there was no political party willing to implement it in practice and because parties are more profitable to use ethnic controversies to gain power.