The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, better known as the Istanbul Convention, is a human rights treaty opposing violence against women and domestic violence.

But Latvian opponents of the treaty argue it introduces a definition of gender that goes beyond biological sex, framing it as a social construct. They say existing national laws are sufficient to address gender-based violence.

On Thursday, after a marathon day of debates lasting more than 13 hours, Latvian MPs voted to quit the treaty by 56 votes to 32, with 2 abstentions.

Michal commented on the vote on Saturday.

"Just as we have the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) here in Estonia, there are unfortunately several political forces in Latvia as well for whom women's rights and safety hold no value," Michal wrote in a social media post.

"Nonsense and fabrications are being used to discredit the [Council of Europe] Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence," he warned, using "loud, false rhetoric to drown out the voices quieted by personal experience."

The Estonian leader said the Istanbul Convention is a "safety net that shows violence isn't just a family matter; it's a public issue." It also gives helpers and volunteers a reference point, demonstrating that the commitment to safety and respecting dignity is shared by all.

Reflecting on his time as Estonia's justice minister, Michal said coordination between the justice and interior ministries, police and prosecutors was once unclear on how to handle domestic violence.

"There were cases where victims [in domestic violence calls] were told to take a day to think on it, and the Prosecutor's Office would let cases slide more easily because they had other priorities," he recalled.

In an effort to enact real change, Estonia then adopted a criminal policy approach, ensuring cases are pursued, victims get help and perpetrators are punished.

"This ended the Soviet occupation era," he emphasized, where domestic violence against women was treated as a "private family matter."

'Violence repeats itself'

Michal warned that a reversal in position among "our good friends" in Latvia is clearly the wrong course, and bid his Latvian counterpart, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa, strength and resolve in standing up for human dignity.

"Here in Estonia, we still have to confront these issues," the prime minister wrote. "Violence has a way of repeating itself — anyone who has experienced it knows this. All the more reason society must take a clear stance — that we will always protect the weaker. Always."

On October 30, Latvia's Saeima passed a bill withdrawing the country from the Istanbul Convention, the Council of Europe treaty aimed at combating and preventing violence against women and domestic violence.

In Estonia, a man given a suspended sentence for attacking a woman recently made headlines after stabbing her again and later killing another driver while fleeing police.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!