Latvian court: State media may publish in Russian, but not obliged

The Constitutional Court of Latvia has ruled that state-run media have the right, but are not obliged, to publish content in Russian, RMF24 reports.

The court noted that the Russian language is widely represented in Latvia’s media landscape and that its position is not under threat.

Latvia has a population of around 1.8 million, with the Russian-speaking minority making up more than 25%, and over a third of residents using Russian as their primary language. The court emphasised that the constitutional mission of state media is to strengthen democratic values and protect the Latvian language.

Court Chair Irena Kucina added that the state has no special obligation to support the Russian language, as commercial Russian-language media and digital platforms are accessible both inside and outside the country.

By Khagan İsayev