Latvian vote to pull out of treaty on protecting women from violence prompts outcry

Several thousand people protested against the vote, and it is now up to the president to decide the next step.

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Several thousand people protested against the vote this week in Riga. It is now up to President Edgars Rinkevics to decide whether to approve the law or not.

Known as the Istanbul Convention, the 2011 treaty only came into force in Latvia last year, requiring governments to develop laws and support services to end all violence.

Latvia is the first EU country to move towards pulling out of the treaty. Turkey withdrew in 2021, a move described as a huge setback by top human rights body the Council of Europe.

It is a setback for centre-right Prime Minister Evika Silina, who joined protesters outside parliament earlier this week. "We will not give up, we will fight so that violence does not win," she told them.