• Experts interviewed by criticize the initiative to introduce volunteer state language inspectors

Experts interviewed by Vesti Segodnya criticize the initiative of the State Language Centre to introduce volunteer state language inspectors. Social scientist Aigars Freimanis said that the current idea causes only doubts and looks more like snitching. Political scientist Olga Procevska, in her turn, called such idea as a consequence of ethnic nationalism and compared it with practice of soviet era.

• State Language Centre plans to introduce volunteer language inspectors
• Riga City Council announced enrolment for free-of-charge state language courses

The State Language Centre (SLC) plans to introduce volunteer language inspectors. According to the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Justice Janis Iesalnieks, there are only 19 state (Latvian) language inspectors in Latvia and they are not able to solve all the problems regarding state language usage. Mr Iesalnieks believes that volunteer inspectors could become helpers for companies and private persons who do not have sufficient knowledge about state language usage. Such practice could also help to improve the SLC image as an institution which is not repressive but helpful to Latvian residents, says Iesalnieks. It is planned that the volunteer inspectors will go through special training and will be issued certificates. Vesti Segodnya

The Riga City Council announced enrolment for free-of-charge state language courses. The City Council granted EUR 117,510 for implementation of seven projects aimed at organisation of state language courses for 1200 Riga residents. In 2012, 2569 persons graduated free-of-charge state language courses, 1391 in 2013, and 1232 in 2014. Vesti Segodnya

• Saeima criminalised illegal participation of Latvian residents in foreign armed conflicts

The Saeima has adopted draft amendments to the Criminal Law stipulating criminal liability of persons for illegal participation in armed conflicts outside Latvia. According to the amendments, persons who illegally take part in the foreign armed conflicts, sponsor armed conflicts, or recruit, train and send other persons to the armed conflicts could be punished with up to 10 years of imprisonment. As reported, there is information about several persons from Latvia taking part in the military conflict in the Eastern Ukraine on side of separatists and in Ukrainian volunteer military units. But up to this day, there were no legal measures for prosecution of these persons. Latvijas Avize

• 373 foreigners applied for asylum in Latvia during 2014

Vesti Segodnya reports that 373 foreigners applied for asylum in Latvia during 2014. The majority of asylum seekers (171 persons) were Georgian citizens. There were also 75 asylum seekers from Ukraine. During 2014, the State Border Guard detained 139 foreigners who tried to enter Latvia illegally. 98 of detained foreigners were from Vietnam and 12 from Afghanistan. According to a representative of the State Border Guard, these citizens of Vietnam use Latvia as transit country to travel to other European countries.

• Latvian Foreign Policy Institutepublished the Latvian Foreign Policy and Security Yearbook 2015

Vesti Segodnya reports about the Latvian Foreign Policy and Security Yearbook 2015 published by the Latvian Foreign Policy Institute. In a chapter “Will Latvia be Putin’s Next Victim in 2015” written by former head of the Constitution Protection Bureau Janis Kazocins believes that the risk that something similar to current events in Eastern Ukraine could be repeated in Latvia and the other Baltic States is very low. Mr Kazocins believes that although the existence of Russian speaking minorities in Latvia is politically useful for Russia, the majority of them are Latvia’s patriots and are well-integrated. At the same time, he also believes that there is a potential threat form the idea of a universally elected President in Latvia, as “the employment of populist campaigning methods along with widespread use of funding from unclear, foreign sources could end with Latvia having what one local journalist has described as a “little green president.”