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.

• Lawyer Arturs Kucs: there are no grounds for introduction of such a strict ban on wearing face-covering clothing in Latvia
• Minister of Education and Science Karlis Sadruskis positively evaluates the existing bilingual education system

Diena interviews an associate professor of the Law Department of the University of Latvia Arturs Kucs about the draft law restricting wearing face-covering clothing in public places. Mr Kucs believes that, from the human rights perspective, there are no grounds for introduction of such a strict ban in Latvia. According to him, if the state uses the security reasons for introduction of such restrictions, it should be proven that it is really necessary; if the argument is protection of the Latvian cultural space, it is necessary to prove that a few covered faces endanger it. It has been hard to prove such arguments so far, says Mr Kucs. He also does not agree that the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights S.A.S vs. France  ruling that the French ban on face covering did not violate European Convention on Human Rights cannot be fully applied in Latvia, as the situation in two countries is completely different.

The Minister of Education and Science Karlis Sadruskis in an interview with ves.lv positively evaluates the existing bilingual education system. He says that the students of Russian language schools are proficient in Latvian language and the education quality has not suffered from the reform. The Minister also believes that no changes in the system are necessary, but it is important to ensure that all schools implement the existing regulations in practice.