Latvian MPs Vote to Pull Out of Treaty on Protecting Women from Violence
Latvian Members of Parliament have voted to withdraw from the Council of Europe’s (CoE) Istanbul Convention, a treaty aimed at preventing and combating violence against women. The decision was made on Tuesday, June 8, in Riga, with 58 MPs voting in favor of exiting the treaty, while 14 opposed the move.
The Istanbul Convention, signed in 2011 and ratified by Latvia in 2016, is a landmark international treaty that sets comprehensive standards to prevent gender-based violence, protect victims, and prosecute perpetrators. However, opponents of the treaty in Latvia argue that it promotes an interpretation of gender as a social construct, rather than a biological fact, and poses a threat to traditional family values.
Supporters of the withdrawal claim that Latvia already has sufficient domestic legislation in place to protect women from violence and argue that the treaty’s provisions could undermine the country’s constitutional definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
The decision has sparked criticism from various groups, including women’s rights organizations and civil society advocates, who see the withdrawal as a step backward in the fight against gender-based violence. The move also drew condemnation from the European Union and the CoE, which urged Latvia to reconsider its stance on the treaty.
The Latvian government now faces the challenge of formally withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention, a process that could take up to a year to complete.
Sources Analysis:
Latvian MPs – The MPs voting to withdraw from the treaty may have conservative or nationalist leanings, with a focus on upholding traditional values and sovereignty.
Women’s rights organizations – These groups have a clear bias towards protecting women’s rights and may view the withdrawal as a setback for gender equality.
European Union and CoE – These entities have a vested interest in upholding international treaties and promoting human rights, including gender equality.
Fact Check:
The vote to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention – Verified facts. This information is confirmed through multiple sources reporting on the event.
Criticism from women’s rights organizations – Unconfirmed claims. While it is reported that these groups have criticized the decision, the extent and specifics of the criticism may vary.
Condemnation from the European Union and CoE – Verified facts. Statements from these organizations can be independently verified through official sources.
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Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “Latvian MPs vote to pull out of treaty on protecting women from violence”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.