The Parliament approved on Thursday, October 14, the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention). The deputies of the Bloc of Communists and Socialists did not participate in the voting procedure.

The draft ratification of the Istanbul Convention was approved, in the second reading, with 54 votes of the deputies from the Action and Solidarity Party.

The deputies of the Bloc of the Communist and Socialist Bloc submitted an amendment that did not meet the number of votes and in protest, they left the meeting room, and three deputies from the Shor Party voted against it.

The treaty includes 81 articles with provisions that States parties ensure the prevention and combating of violence against women and domestic violence, the protection of victims, the prosecution of criminals, and the adoption of integrated policies.

By ratifying the Convention, the Moldovan authorities undertake to punish violence against women in accordance with the law. Also, resources will be allocated to ensure the functionality of crisis centers for victims of violence, emergency telephone lines, available 24/24 hours, shelters for victims of violence, psychological and legal counseling services, but also other measures in this regard. Each public authority will analyze, estimate and plan the necessary resources to ensure the implementation of the Convention.

The document was adopted on May 11, 2011. So far, it has been ratified by 34 member states of the Council of Europe, being signed by 12 other states, including Moldova. The Convention was also signed by the European Union.

On 1 October, the draft was adopted in the first reading. At that time, the Metropolitan Church of Chișinău, led by Metropolitan Vladimir, spoke out against the ratification in an address to the Presidency of Moldova, the Government, and the Parliament.

The Istanbul Convention “destroys Christian values and traditions”, “promotes abortion”, “legalizes same-sex marriage”, “bans Easter” or “desecrates the education system”. These are just a few fakes about the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (also called the Istanbul Convention). Most often, fakes about this document are spread by politicians or people who belong to certain religious groups. Human rights experts encourage the population not to be manipulated by these messages because the sole purpose of the Convention is to prevent and combat violence against women.

On April 26, the leader of the Socialist Party, Igor Dodon, said in a TV show that the Socialists will not allow Moldova to ratify the Istanbul Convention, because “The document requires signatory states to protect the interests of sexual minorities as well.” “Regarding this Istanbul Convention () it is an international document, and when a country signs it, it takes on some additional obligations, in terms of rights, in addition to women and others, and related to sexual minorities. (…) We will do our utmost not to ratify this Convention. It is the main position of the Socialist Party,” said Dodon. Several sites took Igor Dodon’s message without explaining what the Istanbul Convention actually means.