After lengthy debates, the Latvian Seimas adopted in the second, final reading a decision to denounce the Council of Europe Convention on Prevention of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, known as the Istanbul Convention. This was reported by Delfi.
and the “Progressive” party.
Within ten days, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs must either approve the decision or return the bill to parliament for reconsideration. Even before the vote, diplomats from 15 European countries expressed concern about Latvia’s intention to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention.
The discussion in the Seimas lasted from 10:00 to 22:00. 17 amendments to the bill were submitted for the second reading, but all of them were rejected by the Foreign Affairs Committee.
At the same time, a mass protest against the country’s withdrawal from the convention took place outside the Latvian parliament building. According to police estimates, about 5,000 people took part in it. Participants held posters and chanted slogans: “Copying Russia – we are not protecting Latvia”, “Today’s gains – tomorrow’s bruises”, “Populism destroys, the convention protects”.
The Istanbul Convention is an international agreement of the Council of Europe, opened for signature on May 11, 2011, which entered into force in August 2014. Its purpose is to protect women from all forms of violence, prevent, prosecute and eradicate violence against women and domestic violence, as well as combat discrimination and promote equality and women’s empowerment.
The Convention is based on the principle of the “four P” (Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, Policies): prevention, protection and support for victims, prosecution of perpetrators and implementation of integrated policies.
