Hate crimes (both hate violence and hate speech) are increasing problem in Latvia over last few years. The persons with a different racial/ethnic background and sexual orientation have been injured. Taking into account the increasing urgency of the issue as well as sometimes ineffective response of the police to these crimes LCHR has started to implement a project “Fighting against manifestations of hate crime and intolerance in Latvia”.

The funding of the project is provided by the EU financial instrument programme “Transitional Resources for the Strengthening of Administrative Capacity” grant scheme “Promoting Societal Integration in Latvia”.

Project duration: 1 April 2007 – 1 December 2008

The main goal of the project is to fight against manifestations of intolerance in Latvia through increasing capacity of the police and non-governmental sector to identify and prevent hate crimes.

The direct target audience of the project includes police, NGOs dealing with intolerance and vulnerable groups and representatives of vulnerable groups (for example, persons with a different racial/ethnic background, sexual orientation, religious affiliation and persons with disabilities). Indirect target audience of the project includes NGOs, the mass media and public at large.

The core activities of the project include:

• elaboration of appropriate criteria and methods for recognizing, recording, collecting data and investigating hate crime;
• elaboration of training materials for police practitioners and prospective policemen on antiracism and hate crimes;
• establishment of a hate crime victim support network;
• drafting of informative material for hate crime victims on possibilities to receive a support;
• establishment of the mechanism for receiving a complaints on hate violence and hate speech as well as for reporting on the web pages of the extremist organisations and other internet sources inciting hatred.