Several European Parliament members from Latvia and Estonia on Wednesday discussed the worrying democracy and human rights situation in the three Baltic countries
BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – 21st February, 2019)
Several European members and on Wednesday discussed the worrying and human rights situation in the three Baltic countries.
The meeting, which featured testimonies journalists, university professors and human rights activists, was hosted by European member Miroslavs Mitrofanovs at one of the buildings in . The discussion was also attended by EU member Yana Toom and member Andrejs Mamikins.
Speakers , and shared their experience to bring attention to baseless accusations of espionage and of organizing civil unrest, house arrests and difficulties experienced by Russian-speakers in these countries.
LATVIA’S SCHOOL LANGUAGE REFORM
Last year, the Latvian adopted amendments to the law on to start the transition into teaching mostly in Latvian at the Baltic country’s schools. The move was denounced as “discriminatory” by some of ‘s ethnic .
In , around a quarter of the population are ethnic Russians.
A parents’ meeting in a hall, aimed at exchanging views on the school language reform, was held in the Latvian capital Riga on March 31, 2018. It was attended by some 900 people. Several weeks after the conference, a number of participants of the meeting were persecuted by Latvian security police.
“My children live in England and , but I cannot go to see them. I cannot speak to my friends, I am under house arrest 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and must be at home during the night. I am accused of intentionally creating hatred, of crimes against the state and – quite an exotic accusation – of preparing “civil unrest” in Latvia! Ridiculous. this is based on my presentation at the parents’ meeting in ,” Vladimirs Lindermans, a Latvian publicist and human rights activist, said in a Skype call.
‘TREASON’ ACCUSATIONS AGAINST DISSENTING VOICES
Aleksandrs Gaponenko, a university researcher , was imprisoned for four months and placed under house arrest 23, .
“I was incriminated for crime against the state. The Latvian code was suspiciously complemented with new articles 2 years ago in article 81, chapter 10, indicating assistance in actions directed against the state and assisting foreign states or organizations against the state integrity. So it is evident that if you voice your concerns about of bad , this can be kept against you for accusations of espionage on behalf of a foreign state. They mean, of course, the Federation, since I am a speaker,” Gaponenko said in a Skype call.
The accusations were brought against Jurijs Aleksejevs, the editor of the portal IMHOClub.
He was detained in for 48 hours.
“Unfortunately, it seems that the lacks any strength on these issues of within the [European] Union. They don’t want to interfere in national affairs … Two years ago, the situation abruptly worsened in . Basic political rights and freedom of speech were limited … The acts of the state [are similar] to torture, with the ransacking of homes and apartments, the confiscation of IT means and archives, the restriction of activities, arrests,” Miroslavs Mitrofanovs stressed.
According to the lawmaker, in , too, “the persecution of dissenting voices is commonplace,” although it is “more ideological” than in .
RIGHTS SITUATION IN AND ESTONIA
In , attempts to speak about the possible role played by some of the Baltic country’s national heroes in the Holocaust are usually met with accusations of rewriting patriotic history. In , one of ‘s biggest publishing houses recalled books by author Ruta Vanagaite stores after the publication in of her book “Our People,” which looked at the persecution of Lithuanians and the Holocaust during II.
Viaceslav Titov, an ex-member of the city council in , , said speaking at the meeting in that he was deprived of his city council membership after asking questions about the role played by one of ‘s national heroes in the Holocaust. Titov said ‘s ruled that he had “violated his oath of office for the city.”
Lithuanian journalist Giedrius Grabauskas described the Lithuanian as “fake,” citing cases of bullying activists.
“The translated books on the fascists were confiscated and the publisher fined. The truth about the fascist past is forbidden by this , which on the contrary does not confiscate antisemitic books published in Lithuania! Left-wing parties, Russians and are considered enemies of the state in ,” Grabauskas said.
According to Estonian lawyer Sergei Seredenko, the three Baltic states have a common systemic problem.
“They pretend to ensure the defense of human rights … activists, but they don’t when it comes to Russian-speaking minorities. They are deaf to them. The pretends to be the defender of values, freedom, , rule of law, but it fails to have them applied everywhere in ,” Seredenko stressed.
At the meeting in , Catalan supporter, member of the European Josep Maria Terricabras, voiced his support for ethnic minorities in the Baltic states, comparing the trial of the Catalan ministers in with unlawful detentions in the Baltic countries.
