Protests Erupt Over Latvia’s Treaty Withdrawal Plan

 By Staff, Agencies

Thousands poured into the streets of Latvia’s capital on Thursday night, rallying against a proposed law that would pull the Baltic state out of a global treaty on combating domestic violence.

Some 10,000 demonstrators gathered in Dome Square at the center of Riga, not far from the parliament building, according to the national police

Photos and videos that surfaced on social media showed the space filled with people holding banners and placards against the withdrawal. Several smaller protests were also held in various other locations, according to the police. No incidents were reported.

Last week, the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, voted to withdraw from the treaty, but the bill was returned for reconsideration by President Edgars Rinkevics on Monday.

The Council of Europe Convention, also known as the Istanbul Convention, defines violence against women as a violation of human rights. It is meant to standardize the domestic legislation of its signatories to address various forms of gender-based violence.

The agreement was opened for signature in Istanbul in 2011 and came into force three years later. Latvia signed in 2016 but ratified it only last year.

Lawmakers supporting the move claim the treaty introduces a definition of gender that goes beyond biological sex, framing it as a social construct. The MPs argue that existing national laws are sufficient to address the issue of gender-based violence.

If the parliament passes the bill without any amendments a second time, the president will not be able to veto it again. On Wednesday, MPs decided to postpone debate on the issue for a year.

Latvia has had the highest intentional homicide rate per capita among all EU nations for nearly a decade, according to the bloc’s statistics agency, Eurostat. Another Baltic state – Lithuania – had the second-highest rate as of 2023.

According to Eurostat, women accounted for 60% of all homicide victims in Latvia as of 2020.