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November 6th - November 12th, 2023 by Otto Tabuns

Latvia Weekly: Istanbul Convention and Traditional Family

At the centre of discussion during the examined week was the Istanbul Convention. Although the Istanbul Convention had been a widely addressed topic prior to the examined week, the voting on the submission of the Istanbul Convention to the judicial commission of the Latvian parliament made the topic of primary importance as the ratification of the Convention in the near future became seemingly likely. What is more, the disinformation narratives relating to the Istanbul Convention (being against the traditional family, introducing social gender, and reinforcing pedophilia) are commonly shared between the most vocal and popular members of opposition parties. The content examined targeted both Latvian and Russian-speaking audiences. The primary difference between the two is the lack of any engagement by the Russian speaking audience that would be critical of the narratives expressed.

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October 30th - November 5th, 2023 by Otto Tabuns

Latvia Weekly: Istanbul Convention and LGBTQ 

From the findings of the examined week, similar disinformation narratives to prior weeks have been followed. The main topic discussed throughout the content of various authors across several platforms is the Istanbul Convention. As the Latvian parliament moved closer to allowing the registration of same-sex partnerships, disinformation from authors close to the opposition parties or within the opposition parties themselves followed. The content examined tends to group the Istanbul Convention and same-sex partnerships under one roof despite the former addressing issues of domestic violence against women which has nothing in common with the latter. The main narratives include that the Istanbul Convention will somehow affect children's teaching, which will be harmful. Additionally, a common narrative is that the United States is paying for the "lgbt propaganda" which is reflected in same-sex partnerships and the Istanbul Convention. However, when examining the sources to which the authors making such posts refer they lead to the United States government sites in which they talk about the budget given to fighting inequality of gender pay which has nothing to do with the lgbt movement. 

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October 2023 by Otto Tabuns

Latvia Monthly: Istanbul Convention

“Ārlietu ministrs Kariņš nesenā uzstāšanās Strasbūrā minēja to, ka tie, kas ir pret Stambulas kоnvenciju ir it kā Krievijas ietekmēti”/ Foreign affairs minister Kariņš in his recent visit in Strasbourg claims that those that are against ratification of Istanbul Convention are influenced by RussiaThe ratification of the Istanbul Convention has been on the agenda of the leading Latvian party “Jaunā Vienotība”, however it has not been able to receive the necessary support within the parliament. In late spring of 2023, the topic of violence against women in Latvia and the lack of mechanisms to prevent it or protect women was brought up following a shocking homicide of a mother by her previous partner in which the police was, in view of public opinion, compliant due to their negligence. Following the incident Krišjānis Kariņš had publicly stated that the coalition should be more active in its efforts to ratify the Istanbul Convention and had set is a goal for the

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October 23rd - October 29th, 2023 by Otto Tabuns

Latvia Weekly: Israel and Distrust in Government

This week’s disinformation was largely focused on internal issues, highlighting corruption and a pervasive distrust in government. While Telegram channels discussed the armed conflict between Israel and Palestine, these topics saw limited audience reach and engagement. The narratives imply a preparation for crisis by government officials at the expense of the public, alongside international issues being tied to local disinformation themes.​

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