• Security Police: number of cases on incitement to ethnic hatred has significantly grown
• Latvijas Avize: granting residence permits to foreign investors is not profitable

According to the Security Police, number of cases on incitement to ethnic hatred has significantly grown since 2008. 15 criminal cases on incitement to ethnic hatred got initiated during the first half of 2012, comparing to 33 criminal cases initiated during the past 3 years. The most often incitement to ethnic hatred occurs in the Internet comments as insulting statements towards representatives of particular ethnic groups. Some comments contain threat of violence. There are very few registered cases of violent attacks motivated by ethnic animosity; however, it is possible that such attacks are not reported. The Security Police warns that if no measures are taken to limit hate speech, the number of such crimes will continue to grow. Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize prints an article asserting that granting residence permits to foreign investors is not profitable. According to the newspaper, instead of making large investments in local enterprises, the majority of foreigners buy expensive real estate in Latvia. Thus, such investments do not develop Latvia’s economy, believes the Doctor of Economics Raita Karnite. The majority of investors are from Russia and eastern countries.

• Saeima supported 15-fold increase of the number of signatures required for initiation of the national referendum
• Chas interviews the MP, linguist Ina Druviete

Yesterday, the majority of the Saeima supported draft amendments stipulating 15-fold increase of the number of signatures required for initiation of the national referendum. According to the supported amendments, until 2015, it is required to collect at least 30,000 of signatures for support of an initiative during the first stage of referendum. Then the Central Elections Committee will initiate state funded collection of signatures. However, after 2015, the two-stage system of initiation of referendum will be cancelled and the initiators of a referendum will have to collect 10% of the voter’s signatures (about 154,000) on their own. If the required amount of signatures is collected, the Central Election Committee will initiate the national referendum. The draft amendments now have to be proclaimed by the President of Latvia Andris Berzins who already returned the draft amendments for repeated revision back to the Saeima twice. The oppositional parties are planning to turn to the President asking not to proclaim the draft amendments as those significantly limit democratic participation of citizens. According to effective legal norms, it is required to collect at least 10,000 of signatures during the first stage. Telegraf, Chas, Diena, Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Neatkariga

According to the MP, linguist Ina Druviete, every Latvian resident has to perceive Latvian language as a value and take part in its preservation. Mrs Druviete also stresses that ethnic minority languages are also a value and ethnic Latvians should take care preserving those. At the same time, Mrs Druviete believes presence of Russian language in informative space in Latvia is proportionally too big. Therefore she supports the legal regulation limiting usage of foreign languages in official communication or provision of information by state institutions. Chas

• LTV7 will broadcast a ceremonial military parade on 11 November in Russian

TV channel LTV7 will broadcast a ceremonial military parade on 11 November (the day of commemoration of warriors for Latvia’s freedom) in Russian language. Funding for translation of the broadcast into Russian language is allocated from the program on consolidation of society. It is also planned to translate broadcasts reporting about events on the Independence Day on 18 November.

• Minister of Education and Science Roberts Kilis moves forward the draft amendments stipulating wider usage of foreign language in higher education establishments

The Minister of Education and Science Roberts Kilis moves forward the draft amendments to the Law on Higher Education Establishments and other legal acts concerning wider usage of foreign language in education process. The Minister believes wider usage of English in study programs of Latvian higher education establishments would raise their international competitiveness. It is planned to allow to organise part of study programs fully in one of the EU official languages, but not less than half of programs for bachelors and masters degree should be in Latvian language. The study program for PhD could be fully composed in foreign language. Latvijas Avize

Integration and Minority Information Service of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights

• State Language Centre requested the State Police to remove booklets printed in Russian language
• Leader of an organisation “Union against Nazism” Janis Kuzins appealed the decision of the Central Elections Committee on referendum
• Candidate to the post of the Mayor of Riga Baiba Broka: Riga should be ethnic Latvian

Inspectors of the State Language Centre (SLC) visited the central office of the State Police and requested to remove booklets printed in Russian language.  The booklets in Russian provided information about damage of drug addiction and information for victims of crimes and were placed in information stands alongside the same booklets in Latvian language. The booklets also contained other useful information regarding residents’ security and were printed using the EU funds. However, according to the language inspectors, provision of information in foreign languages at public spots of the state institutions is a violation of the rules of the Cabinet of Ministers. Such information can be provided only on individual basis by special request of residents. Earlier, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs received the same remark from the language inspectors and removed all information in foreign languages from public spots despite the fact that the majority of its clients are foreigners. The Minister of Interior Rihards Kozlovskis does not agree with the SLC and believes information about state security should be provided also in foreign languages. Vesti Segodnya

Leader of an organisation “Union against Nazism” Janis Kuzins appealed in the court the decision of the Central Elections Committee (CEC) to cancel the next stage of initiation of referendum on non-citizens. Mr Kuzins believes that the CEC exceeded its authority taking such decision. It should be noted that Mr Kuzins submitted the appeal without consulting with the initiators of the referendum. Vesti Segodnya

Telegraf and Neatkariga print interview with a candidate to the post of the Mayor of Riga from the nationalists’ union Baiba Broka. Mrs Broka believes Riga has a lack of two things – national ideology and national identity. Mrs Broka believes Riga should be a state symbol and therefore should be ethnic Latvian. Mrs Broka also criticizes the Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs for taking part in 9 May celebrations (Victory Day) in Riga and organising concerts with participation of Russian musicians during the days of Riga.

Yours sincerely,
Integration Monitor