Integration and Minority Information Service: newsletter of 17 February 2009

Today, the Riga Regional Court will announce its ruling in a case of four skinheads who attacked two Roma girls and an Armenian couple

Finnish and Estonian anti-fascists are planning to take part in the protest action against procession of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires on 16 March

Today, the Riga Regional Court will announce its ruling in a case of four skinheads accused of incitement to racial hatred. As reported, the four men attacked two Roma girls in October 2007 and an Armenian couple in February 2008. The Prosecutor asked the Court to sentence the defendants to five years of suspended imprisonment and three years of probation period. The defendants pleaded guilty. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

Yesterday, the Cabinet of Ministers refused the draft amendments to the Labour Law proposed by the Ministry of Justice stipulating that labour contract should specify level of state language proficiency required for a post or profession. The Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis criticized the draft amendments arguing that those would create additional bureaucracy and difficulties. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Yesterday, the Register of Enterprises registered Osipov’s Party headed by the ex-leader of the Latvian National Democratic Party Jevgenijs Osipovs. According to Chas, the main task of the Osipov’s Party is to achieve equality of Russian speaking residents with ethnic Latvians and grant Russian language the status of second official language in Latvia. Chas, Latvijas Avize

Yesterday, a group of Finnish and Estonian anti-fascists visited Riga by invitation of Latvian Anti-Fascist Committee. Finnish and Estonian anti-fascists are planning to take part in the protest action against procession of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires on 16 March in Riga (unofficial commemoration day of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires.) Chas

For further information:

Latvian Centre for Human Rights