Thanks to the support of the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS), which is part of the ruling coalition, the Saeima on Thursday referred to the Foreign Affairs Committee an opposition initiative to denounce the so-called Istanbul Convention, which would mean Latvia’s withdrawal from it.
A total of 55 deputies voted in favor of referring the draft law to committee, while 33 MPs voted against it. Coalition deputies from New Unity and The Progressives voted against the bill, but ZZS deputies supported it.
The draft law, developed by the Latvia First party, was signed by Linda Liepiņa (LPV), Ramona Petraviča (LPV), Aiva Vīksna (AS), Linda Matisone (AS), Jānis Vitenbergs (NA), Edvīns Šnore (NA), Jurģis Klotiņš (NA), Nauris Puntulis (NA), Ričards Šlesers (LPV), Ilze Stobova (LPV), Edmunds Zivtiņš (LPV), Maija Armaņeva (LPV), Mārcis Jencītis (LPV), and Kristaps Krištopans (LPV).
Justice Minister Inese Lībiņa-Egnere (JV) told LETA on Wednesday that Latvia’s accession to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence — the so-called Istanbul Convention — had restored faith that there is a way out of violence. By contrast,
efforts to terminate accession are not only ill-considered but also dangerous,
as they divide society and endanger people’s safety, she emphasized.
In Latvia, the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence entered into force on the 1st of May of last year. This international treaty requires its member states to develop coordinated policies to better protect women from all forms of violence, as well as both women and men from domestic violence. Among other obligations, states must ensure comprehensive assistance and protection for victims, crisis centers, 24-hour hotlines, specialized support centers for victims of sexual violence, and safeguards and support for children who witness violence.
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