Nov 21, 2006Articles: Council Of Europe Joins Criticism Of Latvian Human Rights Chief
By vanrozenheim
(EU) - The secretary general of the Council of Europe, Terry Davis, added his voice to a growing wave of disquiet on Tuesday over Latvia's appointment of a leading anti-gay activist as head of the country's parliamentary human rights committee. "I am very concerned ... the parliamentarians who made this decision should realise that what is at stake is the international reputation of Latvia," Davis said in a statement.
Latvian MPs appointed Janis Smits, a Lutheran pastor best known for his opposition to gay rights, as head of their human rights committee on Monday despite protests from human rights groups.
