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.

• Minister of Justice Dzintars Rasnacs called the EU to elaborate targeted action policy on prevention of hate crimes
• Linguist Dzintra Hirse criticizes the plan to establish the national TV channel in Russian language

At the meeting of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency Working Party on combating hate crimes, the Latvian Minister of Justice Dzintars Rasnacs said that it is very important to ensure the implementation of hate crimes prevention policy in practice. He called the EU to elaborate targeted action policy in order to achieve the results in the prevention of hate crimes so that such crimes are effectively investigated and guilty parties brought to justice. According to the Minister, hate crimes is a threat towards national and society security and rights and freedoms of residents. Incitement to hatred against representative of any ethnicity, race, religion can cause substantial consequences, said Mr. Rasnacs. Neatkariga

Latvijas Avize interviews a linguist, member of the President’s State Language Commission Dzintra Hirse about the proposal by the National Council on Electronic Mass Media to establish third national television channel which would broadcast in Russian language. Mrs Hirsa criticizes such plans and believes that it is rather important to improve programmes in Russian on LTV7. She also believes that all the information about events inLatvia should not be in Russian only as the economically active ethnic Russian residents are proficient in Latvian language, but elder people are not interested in Latvian political developments. Mrs Hirsa says that the information is a matter of national security, but expansion of Russian language environment is a threat to national security in perspective.