Latvia: regulations of discrimination

Saeima has supported the draft amendments to the Criminal Law, which foresee criminal liability for offences related to discrimination. An inter-institutional working group which developed the draft amendments agreed that the draft amendments should include not only sanctions for discrimination on ethnic/racial grounds but also for discrimination on other grounds, including sex, age, religious beliefs, political and other affiliation, education, social origin, social and welfare status, profession, health or sexual orientation. However, the draft amendments distinguish criminal liability for offences related to discrimination and criminal liability for instigation of ethnic and racial hatred. National Newspaper Diena reports that on Sunday, 10 December, a young girl, citizen of Brazil, accompanied by two locals, was attacked by a group of skinheads in the centre of Riga. The group of skinheads blocked girl?s and her companions? way and made racist statements. Afterwards one member of the group threw a bottle of beer at the girl. Fortunately, the girl avoided the bottle, however, she got some injuries in her leg. The girl and her companions managed to escape. Two of the skinheads were detained shortly after the incident. The police have opened a criminal process under Section 78 of the Criminal Law on incitement to ethnic hatred. More info at www.politika.lv