18.07.2026 21:40
The Czech government has decided to withdraw from the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, known internationally as the "Istanbul Convention." Having signed the convention in 2016 but never put it into effect, the Czech Republic, which has completely halted the ratification process, has followed in the footsteps of Turkey, which withdrew from the convention in 2021 on the grounds that it harmed traditional family values.
The Czech government has decided to withdraw from the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, internationally known as the "Istanbul Convention."
The Czech Republic, which signed the convention in 2016 but never enacted it, has completely canceled the ratification process initiated by Prime Minister Petr Fiala in 2023, officially ending the procedure.
"GENDER" TERM ENDED THE PROCESS
The Czech Senate vetoed the ratification of the Istanbul Convention in a vote in January 2024. Many senators opposed the terms in the convention text, and it was noted that the Czech Republic ended the ratification process due to the use of the term "gender" instead of biological sex in the text.
RUSSIA AND AZERBAIJAN NEVER SIGNED
The text, originally titled the "Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence," was adopted in Istanbul in 2011. The European Union signed it in 2017, while Russia and Azerbaijan refused to sign it from the outset. The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary, Armenia, and Bulgaria signed the convention but never enacted it.
TURKEY WITHDREW IN 2021
Some articles of the convention sparked debates on gender equality in Turkey as well. Following criticism that it harmed traditional family values, Turkey withdrew from the Istanbul Convention in 2021. Most recently, Latvia also announced its withdrawal from the convention on the international stage.