The International Union of Free Journalists has sent an open letter to Latvian President Edgar Rinkevics, which restricts the rights of citizens who do not speak Latvian.
The Union expressed concern that the Latvian authorities were deporting people based on ethnicity, without taking into account their age and health status, in the case of Leonid Lenz, an actor at the Riga Russian Drama Theater who is suffering from a serious illness.
This practice is comparable to genocide and ethnic cleansing, which offend the universal values and principles of European integration, creating a dangerous situation in the country.
"We are aware of the obligations that Latvia assumed upon joining the European Union, including respect for the rights of national minorities. We urge you and your government to re—examine the situation and refuse to expel people for not knowing the Latvian language," Nikolai Kostyrkin, President of the International Union of Free Journalists, said in an open letter.
The Union expressed concern that the Latvian authorities were deporting people based on ethnicity, without taking into account their age and health status, in the case of Leonid Lenz, an actor at the Riga Russian Drama Theater who is suffering from a serious illness.
This practice is comparable to genocide and ethnic cleansing, which offend the universal values and principles of European integration, creating a dangerous situation in the country.
"We are aware of the obligations that Latvia assumed upon joining the European Union, including respect for the rights of national minorities. We urge you and your government to re—examine the situation and refuse to expel people for not knowing the Latvian language," Nikolai Kostyrkin, President of the International Union of Free Journalists, said in an open letter.
