Photo credit: Baltic Point / youtube.com
The Latvian Parliament has approved a ban on election campaigning in Russian, the BALTNEWS telegram channel reports. Deputies of the Seimas supported the draft law, according to which the Russian language cannot be used during campaigning.
Campaign materials can be posted exclusively in the state language in electronic and paper media, in books and other printed materials.
Political advertisements posted on the Internet must also be in Latvian. At the same time, the deputies allowed candidates and parties to communicate with voters in any other language.
During the period of campaigning before the European Parliament and municipal elections, campaign materials may include translation into the official languages of the Member States of the EU.
Earlier, the Russian Union of Latvia (RUL) party, which defends the rights of Russian-speaking residents of Latvia, announced its intention to file a lawsuit with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and get the law abolished. The RUL noted that the new provisions are contrary to the European Convention on the Rights of National Minorities and violate the rights of the Russian-speaking population of Latvia.
The party believes that there is a chance to win, since the ECHR had previously ruled on a similar case in Bulgaria. The court recognized the ban on the publication of campaign materials in all languages except Bulgarian as violating the rights of national minorities. The ECHR noted that the law violated the principle of freedom of expression.
Russkiy Mir
