More than 200 LSM staff urge Saeima to protect media independence and not rush disputed amendments

More than 200 employees of Latvian Public Media (LSM) have signed an open letter addressed to the Saeima's Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee and to members of parliament. In it, they call for the urgent procedure to be cancelled for amendments to the law on public electronic media and their governance.

The law sets out how Latvia's public media, including LSM, operate and are managed. The amendments therefore concern the working framework of the outlet itself, and its staff want them not to be pushed through in haste.

The authors of the letter also urge lawmakers to back the proposals submitted by SEPLP. In their view, these would help ensure LSM's independence.

The source does not say which specific amendments are under consideration, when the Saeima is due to take them up, or how lawmakers have responded to the letter.