Amnesty International criticized Latvia's parliamentary decision to exit the Istanbul Convention on Thursday, warning the withdrawal endangers legal safeguards against gender violence. Lawmakers approved the measure 56 to 32 after 13 hours of debate, sending it to President Edgars Rinkevics for final approval. Monica Costa Riba, who leads women's rights campaigns for the organization, called on the president to reject the bill and strengthen protections for women and girls facing domestic abuse.
Conservative factions claim the treaty advances gender ideology harmful to children and families, but Latvia's Constitutional Court ruled in 2021 that the agreement aligns with national law and solely addresses violence prevention. Despite this legal clarity, Latvia joins Turkey in abandoning the convention. Recent data from the European Institute for Gender Equality reveals that women account for more than 80 percent of intimate partner violence victims and all intimate partner homicides in Latvia. Before ratification, police recorded a 60 percent surge in stalking cases against women and a 93 percent jump in murder threats.
Conservative factions claim the treaty advances gender ideology harmful to children and families, but Latvia's Constitutional Court ruled in 2021 that the agreement aligns with national law and solely addresses violence prevention. Despite this legal clarity, Latvia joins Turkey in abandoning the convention. Recent data from the European Institute for Gender Equality reveals that women account for more than 80 percent of intimate partner violence victims and all intimate partner homicides in Latvia. Before ratification, police recorded a 60 percent surge in stalking cases against women and a 93 percent jump in murder threats.
