■  President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga: “Departure from any of the principles of democracy destroys democracy itself.”

RIGA, July 20, 2006  –  The President of Latvia and Amnesty International (AI) have both issued statements this morning following yesterday’s decision by the Riga City Council to ban this weekend’s planned Gay Pride march in the capital.

Apparently responding to yesterday’s decision, President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, issued a very strong statement defending the civil and human rights of all citizens of Latvia.

While not actually naming the event, she says: “Departure from any of the principles of democracy destroys democracy itself.”

The Presidential statement, issued in Latvian late yesterday, was posted on her official website this morning in English.

“[The] Constitution guarantees to the residents of Latvia the right to the freedom of speech and assembly, which means guarantees of free expression of one’s views,” President Vīķe-Freiberga says.

She points out that Latvia is a democratic state and that society must respect different views and the rights of different people, including the rights of individuals with a different sexual orientation.

“Everyone is entitled to have an opinion on that or other matter; however imposing of one’s opinion must not restrict the rights of other people,” the President writes.

[Click here for the full text of the Presidential statement]

In London, Amnesty International said it was “is highly concerned and disappointed” at this latest development in Latvia’s inability to protect the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

“Amnesty International calls on the Latvian authorities to respect the right of its LGBT community to freedom of assembly and expression and to permit the “Riga Pride 2006”march to take place on 22 July 2006.

“Amnesty International would like to remind the Latvian authorities of their obligations under international law with regards to the right to freedom of assembly and the rights to freedom of expression.

“The rights to peaceful assembly is recognized and protected by Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and article 11 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR), while article 21 of the ICCPR and article 10 of the ECHR protect the rights to freedom of expression. Latvia is a State Party to both the ICCPR and the ECHR,” AI points out.

“The claims of Riga City Council that security would not be able to be guaranteed to the participants of the march lacks credibility considering that Latvian law enforcement agencies had the capacity to effectively ensure security during previous events of a similar or larger scale such as the 2006 ice hockey World Championships, and are expected to so during the November 2006 NATO summit in Riga.

“The refusal to grant permission for the “Riga Pride 2006” may thus constitute a breach of Latvia’s international obligations under, inter alia, Article 2 of the ICCPR, Article 14 of the ECHR and Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights to prohibit discrimination,” the statement points out..

Amnesty International calls on:

■  The Riga City Council to give permission for the “Riga Pride 2006” march to go ahead.

■  The Latvian authorities to ensure, in accordance with its positive obligations under international human rights law, that the “Riga Pride 2006” demonstrators are properly protected in a manner which allows them to exercise their rights to freedom of assembly and expression.

■  Latvian law enforcement agencies to act under all circumstances with due diligence to protect LGBT people against violence from the wider community. The authorities should also make clear that such violence is a criminal offence and will be prosecuted as such.

■  The Finnish EU Presidency and the EU Commission to take active steps to promote fundamental rights and non-discrimination in Latvia and in particular to support the right to freedom of assembly, including the “Riga Pride 2006” and similar events in all EU member states.

[Click here for the full text of Amnesty International’s statement]

Mozaīka, the group co-ordinating Riga Friendship Days and Gay Pride March, has today submitted a petition to the Riga District Administrative Court to overturn the city council’s decision.  The Administrative Court will announce its ruling tomorrow, Friday, July 21.

“We are shocked by the city council’s decision, which we view as not only an unacceptable restriction of the freedom of assembly, but a major blow to democracy in the face of terrorist threats,” said Mozaîka board member Linda Freimane.

“We have prepared a challenge to the decision in the Administrative Court today.  Last year the Administrative Court acted very correctly by overturning the city council’s decision to revoke the Pride march permit, and so we are very hopeful that this year, too, the Court will defend democratic rights in Latvia by overturning the council’s decision.”

Before leaving London for Latvia this morning, gay human rights activist Peter Tatchell of Outrage! said that Riga Gay Pride is a litmus test of Latvia democracy.

“This ban fits a pattern of homophobia by the Latvian authorities,” he said.

“It is scandalous that a member state of the EU is giving in to threats and blackmail by religious fundamentalists and the far right.

“The government of Latvia has a duty to resist threats of homophobic violence, protect its gay citizens and safeguard the right to peaceful protest.

“The Latvian parliament recently refused to pass a law prohibiting employment discrimination against lesbians and gays, even though as a member state of the EU it is required to outlaw workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation.  Latvia has also banned same-sex marriage,” Mr Tatchell concluded.