MINELRES: Human Rights in Latvia in 2002

[MINELRES moderator]

Human Rights in Latvia in 2002

The Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies, a member of the
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, has issued its
annual report "Human Rights in Latvia in 2002" in a bilingual edition
(English and Latvian). 

Introduction 

As in previous years, the foremost human rights problem in Latvia
remained the long pre-trial detention periods, and the numerous
pre-trial detainees. Despite the harmonization of law with European
standards by the adoption of new Asylum Law and Law on Immigration,
conditions in the Olaine detention facility for illegal migrants raised
concerns on both legal and physical grounds. There were also new and
disturbing developments in society in 2002, relating to open expressions
of xenophobia and intolerance. A political party used openly racist
imaging in its anti-EU stance while campaigning for the parliamentary
elections, while information of a case of racially motivated attack
reached the LCHRES. Issues of freedom of expression included the
language restrictions in commercial broadcasting as well as the struggle
in courts to define the limits for defamation. Controversial state
language requirements to stand for elections were abolished, but only
after strong international pressure. The large number of non-citizens
continued to be only very slowly reduced through naturalization. In
minority rights, the continued lack of ratification of the Council of
Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
caused concern. However, in a positive development, the new government
at the end of the year highlighted the importance of social integration
by creating a Special Task Minister for Social Integration Affairs. 

Full text of the report (273 Kb in .pdf) can be downloaded in English
http://www.politika.lv/index.php?id=105875&lang=lv

and in Latvian 
http://www.politika.lv/index.php?id=105874&lang=lv

For hard copies and additional information, please contact the LCHRES at
Alberta St. 13, Riga LV 1010, Latvia, tel. 371-7039290, fax:
371-7039291, e-mail: office@humanrights.org.lv.