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 and Diena print articles about incitement to hatred on the Internet

• Ministries are elaborating a draft law restricting wearing face-covering clothing in public places

According to Diena, the level of intolerance towards immigrants and refugees has grown during the last year. A study on the level of aggression on the Internet also reveals the tendency of increasing level of intolerance among the Internet users and in society in general. According to a representative of the Security Police, it has registered cases of calls for violence, but there are no indicators of the organized distribution of radical opinions. Latvijas Avize reports about a case when a police officer from Tukums (the same town whose resident got detained for call to violence against immigrants) commented detention of a group of Vietnamese crossing the Latvian border illegally; he wrote in his Facebook profile “first blacks are here… let’s prepare guns.” The police officer received a remark for such a statement.

Following a decree of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Justice, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior, are elaborating the draft law restricting wearing face-covering clothing in public places. According to a representative of the Ministry of Justice, the necessity to introduce such restrictions is being assessed from the aspects of public security and protection of cultural and historical space as well as taking into account experience of other countries. News agency LETA