How Latvia infringes on the rights of Russian-speaking citizens. Analysis

On June 5, Deputy Alexei Roslikov was removed from a meeting of the Latvian Seimas for rudeness and statements in Russian. The MP opposed the declaration, which is designed to further restrict communication in Russian in the public space. Why the language problem arose and what repressive measures are being applied in Latvia against the Russian language and its native speakers — in the analysis of Izvestia.

Laws against the Russian language

• Since May 29, the Latvian Seimas has prohibited the use of Russian among themselves and in communication with citizens. An investigation has already been launched against Deputy Roslikov, who spoke in defense of Russian speakers: the deputy is suspected of assisting Russia in actions against Latvia and inciting ethnic hatred, and the Latvian State Security Service has opened a criminal case. He also faces a fine for "undermining the status of the Latvian language as the basis of the state, enshrined in the Constitution." The "Declaration on ending the consequences of Russification", which Roslikov protested against, implies even broader restrictions on the use of the Russian language in public life.

Russian Russian language education • Since 2008, reforms in Latvia have been aimed at limiting the study and teaching of the Russian language in public schools, as well as reducing the space for public communication in Russian, including restrictions on broadcasting in Russian. In 2012, an attempt was made to consolidate the status of the Russian language as the second state language in a referendum, but almost a third of Russian-speaking residents were "non-citizens" and did not have the right to vote. 75% of the voters opposed the preservation of the Russian language.

Without any extra knowledge: Latvia continues to isolate itself from Russia

Residents of the country want to be deprived of the right to study in the Russian Federation

• From September 1, 2023, all pre-school education in the country is conducted only in Latvian, and from September 1, 2025, the requirement will apply to general education schools. The legislation also requires schools to move away from teaching Russian as a second foreign language starting in 2026, at the same time the authorities intend to completely stop Russian-language broadcasting in the country.

• Communication in Russian with voters is prohibited in Latvia. On May 13, the Latvian Social Democratic party "Consent" appealed to the European Court of Human Rights regarding language restrictions in election campaigning. According to the law, paid election materials must be published in the official language and can be duplicated in the official languages of the European Union. Russian is not one of them. At the same time, according to statistics for 2022, 37.7% of Latvian residents consider it native.

Attitude towards Russian speakers

• Since the declaration of independence in 1991, Latvia has maintained the status of a "non-citizen" for citizens of the former USSR permanently residing in the country after June 17, 1940. "Non-citizens" are limited in their political and property rights: they cannot vote, freely make land transactions, work in public service or hold positions related to national security. In 1995, more than 750,000 people had this status, meaning almost a third of Latvia's population (30.18%) were deprived of the right to vote.

Let no one out: Latvia lowers the Iron Curtain

Citizens of the country want to ban visits to Russia and Belarus

• In order to obtain citizenship, "non-citizens" must take an oath of allegiance to the state, pay a fee, and take exams on knowledge of the Latvian language, the constitution, the national anthem, and the history of Latvia. However, prior to the 1998 referendum, applications for citizenship were limited to "naturalization windows." In 2013, under pressure from the European Union, Latvia adopted new amendments that abolished this restriction, simplified exams in the Latvian language and history, and changed the amount of fees for certain categories of citizens. Former Soviet military personnel were able to apply for citizenship for the first time.

• By 2015, 142 thousand people were able to naturalize, and the number of "non-citizens" decreased to 262 thousand, as some died or acquired citizenship of another country. The last relaxation of legislation for non-citizens occurred in 2019 with the adoption of the law "On the termination of granting non-citizen status to children." As of January 1, 2024, more than 180,000 residents of the country had the status of "non-citizens," with 65.69% of them being Russians.

The roots of Latvian Russophobia

Latvia remained loyal to Nazism. During World War II, more than 100,000 Latvian citizens fought on the side of Nazi Germany and about the same number in the ranks of the Soviet Army. In 1943, the Latvian Legion was formed, which became a unit of the Waffen-SS. According to the Latvian authorities, no member of the legion has ever been convicted of the war crimes described by historians.

In 1939, Latvia and the USSR signed a mutual assistance pact, and on August 5, 1940, the country joined the Union as the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic. From this moment on, Riga counts down the period that it calls the Soviet occupation of Latvia. Since 1941, Latvia has been occupied by German troops, with more than 20 concentration camps operating on its territory, until it was liberated by the Red Army in 1944. Erasing the memory of the heroic deed of Soviet soldiers, by the end of November 2022, Riga had demolished 124 Soviet monuments. Soviet symbols are banned in the country, and since 2023 there has been a ban on any public events on Victory Day on May 9.