Russia says Latvia ignoring obligations to protect linguistic rights of minorities

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia claimed on Monday that Latvia ignores its obligations to protect and support the linguistic rights of minorities living in the country.

“The Latvian government, in an effort to oust the Russian language from all the spheres of public life, is flagrantly ignoring its obligations to protect and support the linguistic rights of the national minorities,” the Russian Embassy in Riga said on Telegram.

The statement said that the decision followed a ruling by the Latvian Constitutional Court, which banned teaching in the Russian language in private universities.

“In September 2022, the EU Court of Justice addressed a recommendation to the local authorities to review language restrictions in commercial educational institutions, which are of a vivid discriminatory nature,” the statement said.

It claimed the ruling elite in Latvia is of the opinion that the Russian language "poses a threat" to the Latvian language in higher education, unlike teaching in the EU official languages, including English.

“Is there anything else one should know about the ‘absence’ of Russophobia in Latvia," it added.

Once part of the Soviet Union, the Baltic country has had difficult relations with Russia for years.

In condemnation of Russia’s war on Ukraine, the Saeima, Latvia’s parliament, prohibited the teaching of Russian in all schools, as well as in higher education. It also designated Russia as a “state sponsor of terrorism.”

While government websites are also in Latvian only, the country stopped issuing entry visas to Russians.

Meanwhile, following the news of the Estonian ambassador’s expulsion from Russia last month, Latvia downgraded its diplomatic ties with Russia in solidarity with Estonia.​​​​​​​