Dokument #1202082
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
In telephone interviews on 10 and 31
October 1977, the executive director of the Latvian Centre for
Human Rights and Ethnic Studies in Riga provided the following
information which represents the viewpoint of the Centre. The
Zemessardze was formed in the early 1990s under the auspices of the
military forces and its original function was to supplement the
Latvian armed forces. The Zemessardaze is currently under the
authority of the Ministry of the Interior, and its members act as
territorial defence guards and are a supplement to the police
force. There are from 10,000 to 15,000 volunteers who constitute
the Zemessardze; they wear uniforms when on duty and occasionally
carry firearms.
For several years after its formation, the
Zemessardze was an inadequately trained and undisciplined
organization; some of its members had a reputation for being
"trigger happy" and were responsible for the deaths of several
innocent civilians. Zemessardze members have been subjected to more
stringent control and discipline over the last several years. The
executive director has not heard of any reports within the last two
years, either in the Russian media or by other nongovernmental
organizations, indicating that Zemessardze volunteers have
committed acts of intimidation or violence against members of
ethnic minorities. However, the director does have a friend who was
beaten up one and a half years ago in a Riga park by Zemessardze
officials on duty because he refused to comply with their command
to stop. The director would not discount the possibility that there
continue to be other isolated and unreported incidents of abuse of
power by Zemessardze members.
The director added that the influence of
the Zemessardze in the major urban areas is marginal, although it
does have more of a presence and influence in rural areas which are
predominately inhabited by ethnic Latvians.
For information on the Latvian Centre for
Human Rights and Ethnic Studies, please consult Response to
Information Request LVA26939.E of 16 June 1997.
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is
not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any
particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Latvian Centre for Human Rights and
Ethnic Studies, Riga. 31 October 1997.
Latvian Centre for Human Rights and
Ethnic Studies, Riga. 10 October 1997. Telephone interview with the
executive director.