Gatis Bugoveckis was forced to resign his job at the police station of the city of Bauska, because he made it public, in a newspaper interview to the Bauska newspaper "Atspulgs", that he is gay and lives with his male partner. Gatis was seriously beaten by bashers April 16 along with his lover. The couple was jumped by three Russian-speaking men in central Riga. The assailants shouted "Fucking queers" and "We're going to break your balls" as they beat them.

Gatis and the Homosexuality Information Centre (HIC) submitted an official complaint of a violation of human rights on the basis of sexual orientation to the Latvian National Human Rights Office.

The Office was established in 1995 as an independent state institution, promoting the observance of the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals in the Republic of Latvia in accordance with the Constitution, international human rights treaties which are binding for Latvia and the Constitutional Law "On the Rights and Obligations of the Individual and the Citizen". According to the law which established the Office, it has a right to investigate complaints, but its power is limited to opinions and proposals in the form of recommendations.

On 17 April 1998 the Human Rights Office ruled in Bugoveckis' favor in his discrimination case.

"There is enough evidence, including audio recordings, to demonstrate that it was a case of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation which is a violation of human rights. Paragraph 28 of [the law 'On Police'] does not require heterosexual orientation as a requirement for serving the police, but instead requires education, physical preparedness, health, ability and willingness to carry out police duties, knowledge of the Latvian language, and absence of criminal records.

"It must be considered that violence or any discrimination against an individual because of their sexual orientation, in Latvia as a democratic country which is ruled by law, is a violation of the state's principles and laws. All people living in Latvia are equal in their duties, rights and the realization of those rights regardless of differences among them. Only the state, in specific cases which are defined by laws, or when an individual through his activities harms other individuals' rights and freedoms, can restrict that individual's rights."