A number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will hold a peaceful protest today at 12:00 in front of the Saeima building, calling on deputies to preserve Latvia's international human rights obligations and to promptly reject the bill on withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, LETA reports.
As reported to LETA by the youth organization "Protests", in a show of solidarity, "Protests", the "Marta" center, the crisis and consultation center "Skalbes", the "Dardedze" center, the youth wing of the "Attīstībai/Par!" party — "Jaunieši attīstībai", the youth organization of the "Vienotība" party, the youth wing of the "Par!" movement — "Par Jauniešiem!", the "Young European Federalists", the association of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people (LGBT) and their friends "Mozaīka", the "Neons" movement, the "Active Rainbow" society, the "Sievietei Paveicās" society, and the "Ilgtspējas fonds" will unite in the action.
According to the organization "Protests", the Istanbul Convention is a practical tool in the field of human rights protection. Since its ratification, stricter penalties for rapists have been introduced in the country, crisis apartments for victims have been provided, and electronic monitoring of the most dangerous offenders has been implemented.
These mechanisms provide real protection for women and children, contributing to the creation of a safer society as a whole, "Protests" emphasizes. The organizations note that withdrawing from the convention would weaken the system and leave victims unprotected.
"Exiting the convention would contradict Latvia's international obligations and democratic principles, weaken the safety and unity of society. Latvia's place is to be an active part of the international democratic community, protecting the most vulnerable," the organizers state.
The organizers emphasize that their goal is to preserve and strengthen the rule of law, democracy, and security, ensuring that every person in the country can live without fear of violence and discrimination.
According to the organization "Protests", the government should work to ensure real security and protection for all members of society, adhering to international obligations and human rights principles.
As previously reported, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa ("New Unity") instructed Minister of Welfare Rainis Uzuliņieks from the Union of Greens and Farmers (SZK) to clarify what the Ministry of Welfare has done to implement the obligations of the Istanbul Convention in combating violence.
The Prime Minister's resolution states that Uzuliņieks must report on the work done in the Saeima committees, as well as at the government meeting on October 7.
The Prime Minister also instructed the minister to represent the Cabinet of Ministers at the meetings of the Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee, where the bill "On Withdrawal from the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence" will be considered, and to provide information to the Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee, the Social and Labor Affairs Committee, and the Legal Committee about the completed and planned steps for implementing the convention, as well as to meet with representatives of civil society in light of their open letter.
Siliņa noted that the Ministry of Welfare was the initiator of promoting the convention and is responsible for coordinating and implementing the plan to prevent violence against women and children.
The Prime Minister handed the instruction to Uzuliņieks in the presence of the media, adding that, apparently, his ministry has not adequately informed the deputies of his party about the essence of the Istanbul Convention.
Thanks to the support of the SZK, which is part of the ruling coalition, the Saeima on September 25 referred the initiative of opposition deputies to denounce the so-called Istanbul Convention to the Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee, which would mean withdrawing from it.
Fifty-five deputies voted for the referral of the bill, while thirty-three parliamentarians voted against. Deputies from the coalition parties "New Unity" and "Progressives" voted against, while representatives of the SZK supported the bill.
Coalition partners stated that the SZK's vote in the Saeima is a violation of the coalition agreement. On Monday, representatives of the SZK were invited to Siliņa for explanations.
The SZK claims that it has changed its attitude towards the convention because, in their opinion, the attached declaration has been violated — for example, the Ministry of Culture and Education allegedly promotes gender ideology, which the party claims does not correspond to the understanding of gender established in the declaration (only male and female). However, the SZK's statement does not specify where, when, and how the ministries promoted the so-called gender ideology.
The SZK called on Siliņa to assess why the goals of the convention — reducing the level of violence against women and in families — are not being fully realized. The party criticized the ministries led by "New Unity": the Ministry of Health failed to create support centers for victims of sexual violence, the Ministry of Education and Science is delaying training for teachers and the implementation of programs to reduce violence, and the Ministry of the Interior is not actively working on isolating offenders. At the same time, the Ministry of Welfare, under the control of the SZK, is allegedly working to reduce violence regardless of the presence of the convention.
