Baltic Pride kan bli avlyst - send appell!

I am writing to express Amnesty International’s concerns over moves by several elected representatives of the Riga City Council (RCC) to ban the Baltic Pride march, scheduled to take place in Riga on 16 May 2009. The march is being organised by the Latvian NGO Mozaika together with three other lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organisations from the Baltic region. Over 70 Amnesty International activists from 23 European countries are intending to travel to Riga to participate in the march and related events.

The proposed Baltic Pride march was authorised by the RCC’s Commission on Meetings, Marches and Demonstrations on 8 May, following a series of agreements between the organisers, the City Council and the police on the march’s venue and the necessary security arrangements.

On 13 May, however, 34 of the 60 RCC Councillors sent an open letter to the RCC’s Executive Director, Andris Grinbergs, calling on him to revoke the decision of 8 May, on the grounds that the march was offensive to public decency and posed a threat to public security. The 34 signatories have threatened to overrule the decision of the Commission on Meetings, Marches and Demonstrations in a special vote on the matter.

The banning of the Baltic Pride Event would violate the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and non-discrimination as set out in several international human rights conventions to which Latvia is party.

According to international human rights law, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association should not be restricted or prohibited simply on the grounds that something might shock, offend or disturb. Therefore, a peaceful assembly may not be restricted merely on the grounds that it might offend an individual or group. Moreover, states have an obligation to protect the right to peaceful assembly even if a peaceful gathering may attract violent counter-demonstrations.

Amnesty International therefore calls on the Latvian authorities to ensure that the Baltic Pride event is allowed to take place under the originally agreed conditions and that the necessary security arrangements are in place to allow for the peaceful celebration of the rights and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the Baltic countries and across Europe.


Yours sincerely