• State Police began a criminal investigation on physical attack on a 17 year-old man who wore a cap with Russian emblem
• Latvian Embassies limit terms of visa expiree for stay in Latvia to participants of international conference “Lessons of WWII and the Holocaust”
• The Administrative Court of Jelgava Region initiated an administrative case on actions of the State Language Centre
• Head of the Naturalisation Board (NB) Igors Gorbunovs: reformation of the NB did not hinder acceptance of applications for naturalisation

The State Police began a criminal investigation on physical attack on a 17 year-old man who wore a cap with inscription “Russia” and Russian emblem. As reported, the youngster got brutally assaulted in the centre of Riga by two young men shouting statement such as “occupant” and others. Vesti Segodnya, Diena

Vesti Segodnya claims that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructed Latvian Embassies in various countries to limit visa expiry terms for participants of international conference “Lessons of WWII and the Holocaust” planned to be held on 14-15 March in Riga. The head of archive of Holocaust Education Center in Russia was issued a visa which expires on 15 March. According to the newspaper, it is done in order to prevent participants from witnessing 16 March events in Riga – unofficial commemoration day of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires.  

The Administrative Court of Jelgava Region following an appeal of the deputy of the Jekabpils City Council Natalja Cehova initiated an administrative case on actions of the State Language Centre (SLC). In November 2009, the deputy was fined by inspector of the SLC for insufficient Latvian language proficiency. However, Mrs. Cehova did not agree with the SLC’s decision arguing that her Latvian language proficiency is good enough but the additional language requirements for deputies of municipal councils occurred after the elections. Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize reports that the head of the Naturalisation Board (NB) Igors Gorbunovs believes that reform of the NB and its merger with the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs did not hinder acceptance of applications for naturalisation and passage of examinations. According to Mr. Gorbunovs, there is a small increase the number of applicants for naturalisation. New tendency is that majority of the applicants now are men while in all previous years the majority of applicants were women. Also, a part of the applicants want to receive naturalisation in order to leave the country.