Justice Minister Inese Libinā-Égnere ("New Unity") has asked the Venice Commission to provide an opinion on the possible withdrawal of Latvia from the Istanbul Convention in an expedited manner, to independently assess the legal consequences of such a step at the national and international levels, as well as how this decision will affect Latvia's international obligations and its place in the Council of Europe's human rights protection system, the Ministry of Justice informed LETA.
The minister also urges the proponents of the idea to withdraw from the convention to wait for and consider the commission's opinion before the corresponding bill is presented for its first reading.
The minister emphasizes that if Latvia denounces the convention, it will become the only EU member state that has unilaterally withdrawn from the Council of Europe convention that ensures the protection of fundamental rights.
"Therefore, I believe that an authoritative and independent assessment of the legal consequences of such an unprecedented step by Latvia, which could jeopardize the common legal space in Europe, is necessary," said Libinā-Égnere.
The Venice Commission is specifically asked to express its opinion on whether such a step, formally permissible and justified by state sovereignty, contradicts the principles of democracy and the rule of law.
The commission must also assess whether Latvia's national system can provide the same level of protection of fundamental rights as membership in the convention.
As reported earlier, last Thursday, the majority of Saeima deputies supported a declaration that they present as an "alternative to the Istanbul Convention," which they, in turn, intend to denounce.
The Istanbul Convention came into force in Latvia in May last year.
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