President of the Republic of Latvia

Andris Bērziņš

Chancery of the President of Latvia

Pils Square 3

Riga, LV

1900, Latvia



May 2012



Dear Mister President,



Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the Baltic States are holding their annual Pride march in the Latvian capital of Riga on 2nd June to celebrate diversity and promote the human rights of LGBT people.



Regretfully, LGBT people in the region continue to be subject to discrimination and intolerance. In the past, the participants of Baltic Pride faced threats to their safety, and the Pride risked of being banned by local authorities.



Recently the Riga city’s Committee on Safety, Public Order and Corruption Prevention Issues submitted a proposal to the city Council to ban ‘homosexual propaganda’ in the city of Riga and asked Pride organizers to withdraw the application for the Baltic Pride 2012.



I urge the Latvian Authorities to ensure that LGBT people’s rights to freedom of expression and assembly are adequately respected and protected in Latvia.



I also urge the Latvian Authorities to ensure adequate protection for the Baltic Pride march 2012 to be held in safety and in full respect of freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly.



Yours sincerely,