A recently renewed Russian government accusation that Latvia is trying to revise its history of war crimes has ruffled some Latvian-Americans.

Latvia has been following a “policy of rehabilitation and celebration of war criminals,” according to a press release posted earlier this week on the Web site of the Russian Federation’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. A similar accusation is leveled against Estonia.

The accusation, argue some Latvian-Americans in e-mails received by Latvians Online, is part of a “smear campaign” by the Russian mission.

Not so, said Alexander Ilchenko of the Russian mission’s press office. The press releases, which originally were issued Feb. 13 by the Russian Foreign Ministry, were meant to draw attention to attempts to revise wartime history in Latvia and Estonia.

The timing of the releases was not meant to coincide with any upcoming event, Ilchenko told Latvians Online.

However, Latvia and Estonia both are scheduled in May to join the NATO defense alliance and the European Union. The Russian government has raised concerns about the two nations’ membership in both organizations.

Also, an exhibition by the Occupation Museum that illustrates what happened under the Nazi and Soviet takeovers of Latvia is scheduled for a two-week run in the United Nations beginning March 25.

The press release about Latvia discusses, among other points, the rise of pro-fascist organizations in Latvia before and during World War II, as well as the executions of Jews and Soviet citizens carried out by the Arajs Command during the war. The release further claims Latvia is attempting to rehabilitate the memory of those who served with German troops during the war.

Gints Jegermanis, Latvia’s ambassador to the United Nations, declined comment on the Russian press release except to say that its contents no doubt will be discussed during consultations between officials of the Latvian and Russian foreign ministries scheduled Feb. 27 in Rīga.

Emīls Dēliņš, founder of the newspaper Austrālijas Latvietis, a community activist and Latvia’s honorary consul general in Australia, died Feb. 21 in Melbourne. He was 82.

The funeral service is scheduled at 1 p.m. March 2 in Holy Cross Church in Melbourne. The Rev. Aldis Elberts will officiate.

Dēliņš was born May 15, 1921, in Rīga. A 1940 graduate of the French lycée in Rīga, Dēliņš studied agriculture at the Latvian Academy of Agriculture and chemistry at the University of Latvia, according to his son, Jānis.

Like thousands of other Latvians, he fled his homeland during World War II. From 1945-1947 he worked for the Latvian Displaced Persons’ camp newspapers Lībekas Vēstnesis and Latviešu Ziņas.

In 1949 he immigrated to Australia, where he founded Austrālijas Latvietis. He edited the newspaper until 2000.

Dēliņš wrote frequently for the Latvian and Australian press, according to Latvju enciklopēdija, 1962-1982, lectured about literature and translated plays into Latvian from the French and German languages.

He also was active in the Latvian community in Australia, serving the Latvian Federation in Australia and New Zealand as well as the World Federation of Free Latvians.

Dēliņš also worked on broader Baltics-related political issues. In 1974 under the government of Prime Minister E.G. Whitlam, Australia announced that it no longer recognized the Baltic States, according to the Web site of the Latvian Foreign Ministry. That decision was reversed in 1975 under Prime Minister M.J. Fraser, thanks in part to the efforts of Dēliņš, and Australia returned to its earlier stance that the Baltic states were illegally incorporated into the Soviet Union.

In 1979, Dēliņš was named Latvia’s honorary vice consul in Australia, in 1982 was promoted to honorary consul, and in 1992 was promoted to honorary general consul. Since 1993 he also had served as honorary consul to New Zealand.

Dēliņš received many honors for his work in the Latvian community, including being twice recognized by the World Federation of Free Latvians’ Culture Fund for his work in journalism. In 1997, Dēliņš was awarded the Order of Three Stars, Latvia’s highest civilian honor. The Latvian Academy of Sciences in 2000 conferred on Dēliņš an honorary doctorate in political studies.

In 1996 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to the nation’s Latvian community.

Dēliņš was a godson of former Latvian President Kārlis Ulmanis.

Dēliņš is survived by a daughter, Maruta Tauriņa of Sydney, Australia; two sons, Jānis of Melbourne, Australia, and Daris of New York, and three grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Nīna, in 2002. His son Jānis is Latvia’s honorary vice consul in Melbourne.

After giving political parties 24 hours to come to terms on who should run the country, Latvian President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga has called on Indulis Emsis to form a new government, according the media reports.

The invitation comes despite attempts by current Prime Minister Einars Repše, who resigned Feb. 5, to convince the president that he should be allowed to form a new government or that parliament should be dismissed and new elections held.

After four conservative parties, which together control three-fourths of the 100-seat parliament, failed to rally around a candidate for prime minister, Vīķe-Freiberga on Feb. 19 gave them just 24 hours to come to terms. When the parties still couldn’t decide on a candidate, the president announced her choice in a Feb. 20 press conference.

Emsis, of the conservative Zaļo un Zemnieku savienība (Union of Greens and Farmers), is deputy chairman of his party’s board and a member of parliament. Born in 1952, he graduated in 1975 with a degree in biology from the University of Latvia and worked in the forestry business for many years. Among his areas of concern are environmental policy.

Latvian media reported generally favorable reaction to the selection of Emsis, with many politicians viewing him as a good compromise candidate who can form an effective conservative government. However, the Repše-led Jaunais laiks (New Era) party announced it won’t participate in the new government if any of the ministerial portfolios are offered to Latvijas Pirmā partija (Latvia’s First Party). The conservative Christian party and Jaunais laiks have been sparring for months, a situation that in part led to the fall of the government.

Once Emsis names his ministers, the government will have to be approved by parliament. Until that time, Repše’s government continues in power.