Republic of Latvia
Head of state: Vaira Vike-Freiberga
Head of government: Andris Berzins
Capital: Riga
Population: 2.4 million
Official language: Latvian
Death penalty: abolitionist for ordinary crimes
There were reports of torture and ill-treatment of people deprived of their liberty by officials and allegations of ill-treatment of children. Draft legislation to introduce a civilian alternative to military service was under consideration.
Torture and ill-treatment
The report of the first visit of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) to Latvia in January and February 1999 was made public in November 2001. The report stated that "[t]he delegation received a considerable number of recent allegations of physical ill-treatment of persons detained by members of the police force in Latvia", most commonly at the time of arrest and during interrogation. The CPT noted that "[i]n some cases, the ill-treatment alleged – severe beating, asphyxiation using a plastic bag or a gas mask, strangulation using a guitar wire, infliction of electric shocks, in the course of questioning – could be considered as amounting to torture".
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
In January the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child reviewed Latvia's initial report on steps the authorities had taken to implement the UN Children's Convention, to which Latvia became a state party in 1992. Among the Committee's main concerns was the lack of data and appropriate measures, mechanisms and resources to prevent and counteract violence within the family, including the sexual abuse of children. The Committee recommended, among other things, that "cases of domestic violence and ill-treatment and abuse of children, including sexual abuse within the family, be properly investigated within a child-friendly inquiry". In addition, the Committee issued a number of recommendations relating to the sexual exploitation and trafficking of minors, including programs to prevent and combat the phenomena and to rehabilitate and reintegrate the victims.
Conscientious objection
A working group established in 2000 submitted a draft law introducing a civilian alternative to military service to the Ministry of Defence in June 2001. This was referred to the Latvian government, the Cabinet of Ministers, for approval in July. However, the Cabinet of Ministers rejected the draft law in late August, requesting that amendments be made to it. By the end of 2001 the amended draft law had still not been submitted to parliament for approval. There was concern that the draft law would force conscientious objectors to undertake an alternative service of two years in length, twice as long as military service.
National human rights institutions
In February 2001 the Latvian National Human Rights Office published its annual report for the year 2000, which highlighted a number of concerns relating to the protection and promotion of human rights in the country. Recurring concerns expressed in the report included conditions in short-term police detention centres, which frequently amounted to "inhumane treatment" and were "degrading for human dignity". In addition, the office believed that prolonged periods in pre-trial detention violated the right to a trial within a reasonable time.
AI country reports/visits
Report
- Concerns in Europe, January-June 2001: Latvia (AI Index: EUR 01/003/2001)
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