RIGA, September 4 (RIA Novosti) - Latvian human rights ombudsman Roman Apsitis appealed to the country's president with a request to broaden rights for 'non-citizens' in Latvia, local media reported on Friday.

Latvia, with a population of 2.3 million, has around 370,000 people without citizenship - mainly former Soviet citizens who have been refused Latvian passports since 1991.

Non-citizens are not considered stateless persons under Latvian law but lack full rights, with the main restriction depriving non-citizens of the right to vote.

Apsitis told President Valdis Zatlers that non-citizens have even fewer rights than citizens of other EU countries residing in Latvia and asked the president to review the situation.

Russia has repeatedly called on the EU to address infringements of human rights of 'non-citizens' in the Baltic States.

Last year Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree simplifying visa requirements for former Soviet citizens residing in Latvia and Estonia. The move provoked criticism from both Baltic countries, which said that it could harm Russia-EU partnership negotiations.