Latvian parliament has finally listened to the people on Istanbul Convention - PACE president

RIGA - The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Theodoros Rousopoulos, issued a statement on Thursday saying that the Latvian parliament has finally listened to the people it represents, allowing the country to continue applying the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention.

"The Latvian parliament has finally listened to the people it represents, allowing the country to continue applying the Istanbul Convention, at least until a new parliament is elected in October 2026. More than 67,400 citizens have signed an online petition in a few days, asking that their country remains in the Convention," Rusoupoulos said, stressing that their voices deserved to be listened to.

The statement says that abandoning the Convention just two years after having ratified it would have had very negative consequences for women victims of violence in Latvia, who need assistance, support and redress.

"But we should not be complacent: we are very far from having won the battle against growing disinformation and attacks against the Istanbul Convention and women’s rights," the PACE president warns.

"Our Assembly stands ready to support the Latvian authorities, parliamentarians and political parties in shedding light on the Istanbul Convention and addressing the disinformation and untruths about it that continue to circulate," the statement reads.

As reported, a majority of Saeima members on Wednesday voted to refer the bill on Latvia's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention to the next Saeima for a repeated review after President Edgars Rinkevics returned the bill to the parliament for reconsideration.

November 1, 2026 was set as the deadline for the submission of proposals for bill. Latvia will hold parliamentary elections in early October next year, and the next Saeima could assemble for its first session in early November, which means that the bill on the denunciation of the Istanbul Convention will also be reviewed by the next parliament.

LETA also reported, a bill providing for Latvia's withdrawal from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, or the Istanbul Convention, passed the final reading in the Saeima last Thursday, with MPs of opposition factions and the coalition partner Union of Greens and Farmers voting for its adoption.

The bill on Latvia's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention was submitted by the opposition party Latvia First (LPV), and was also supported by other opposition parties - National Alliance, United List and Stability, as well as lawmakers from the ruling Greens/Farmers faction. The coalition parties New Unity and the Progressives objected to the proposal to withdraw from the Convention and voted against the bill.

Last Wednesday, about 5,000 people protested in front of the Saeima against Latvia's possible withdrawal from the Convention.

In Latvia, the Istanbul Convention entered into force on May 1 last year. The Convention is an international treaty that requires its Member States to develop coherent policies to better protect women from all forms of violence, as well as women and men from domestic violence. These include providing comprehensive assistance and protection for victims, crisis centers, a 24-hour crisis hotline, specialized support centers for victims of sexual violence, and protection and support for child witnesses of violence.