Language referendum in Latvia initiated by Russian secret services - Russian human rights activists

RIGA – “The language referendum in Latvia has been initiated by Russian secret services,” the founder of the Russian political party “Democratic Union” and human rights activist, Valeriya Novodvorskaya, said during a press conference in Riga on Feb. 15.

She declared during the press conference that she has proof of this, however, she did not wish to release the information to journalists. Novodvorskaya emphasized that all of Latvia's citizens, including ethnic Russians, must participate in the referendum and vote against Russian becoming an official language in Latvia.

Novodvorskaya also expressed the point of view that the goal of the referendum is to destabilize the situation in Latvia, with the hope that Latvian residents will request Russia sometime in the future to include it in the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The Russian human rights activist will be in Latvia until the referendum day – Feb. 18. She intends to give television and radio interviews about the upcoming referendum in Latvia.

As reported, the referendum on granting the status of state language to Russian will take place on Feb.18.

771,893 votes will be required to designate Russian the second official language in Latvia.