Women’s rights activists protest against Latvia’s possible withdrawal from domestic violence treaty

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Women’s rights activists taped their mouths shut at a demonstration Wednesday outside the Latvian parliament to protest the country’s possible withdrawal from an international treaty aimed at supporting women who are victims of violence.

Dozens of protesters watched as several women, with their hands tied behind their backs, sat down in front of a table with a white cloth covered in red paint handprints.

The demonstration, the second of its kind in two weeks, follows a decision by Latvian lawmakers last month to start a process that could lead to withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. The Council of Europe treaty, which Latvia ratified in 2023, is meant to standardize support for women who are victims of violence, including domestic abuse.

Ultra-conservative grou