Latvija in brief - 2004-09-09

A Riga District court satisfied a claim on Sept. 6 by a relative of a police officer who was killed when a Swedish citizen, Bo Anders Fredrick Johansson, hit the officer in his vehicle. The court ruled that Johansson must pay 200 lats (305 euros) a month in subsistence support to the officer's daughter, Anita Darzniece, from the period of July 3, 1997, when the accident took place, until Darzniece reaches adult age 's or an additional 18 months. The court also ruled that Johansson would have to pay 400 lats in damages to Regina Frisfelde, the officer's representative. Jahansson will be able to appeal the decision in 20 days.


The Supreme Court Senate decided on Sept. 6 for a retrial in the murder case of journalist Gundars Matiss, with the new trial to take place at the Kurzeme Regional Court with different judges. In January the court gave 10- and eight-year jail sentences respectively to the man who conspired to murder Matiss and the hitman, both of which were later appealed for further investigation. Matiss was attacked with a wooden bat on Nov. 15, 2001, in a feud suspected to be over his ties to illegal alcohol sales.

The first training center for combating multiresistant tuberculosis in Europe will officially open in November at the Latvian TB and Lung Disease Center near Riga. Vaira Leimane, head of the center's Doc-2 program, stated that such training centers have until now only operated in the United States.

The government decided on Sept. 7 to ease travel regulations for people bearing Schengen visas or Schengen resident permits by dropping the invitation requirement when applying for a Latvian visa. In accordance with the eased regulations, no invitation from Latvia is needed when applying for a visa lasting less than 30 days at an embassy in a Schengen country.

While attending the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 21, President Vaira Vike-Freiberga is set to meet U.S. President George W. Bush. The president's spokesperson reported that Bush is holding a reception for state leaders and that Vike-Freiberga has "always had a chance to talk to Bush" at such events.