Madagascar has urged the EU to remove its ambassador to the island nation after she criticized a recent law allowing the castration of child rapists.
The controversial legislation, passed by the Malagasy parliament in early February, permits both chemical and surgical castration for people convicted of sexually assaulting minors.
Amnesty International condemned the measure as “cruel, inhuman and degrading.”
A few weeks later, the EU’s ambassador to Madagascar Isabelle Delattre Burger, who has a history of challenging the government, publicly denounced the law during a press conference as being “contrary even to the Madagascar constitution.” Following her remarks, she was summoned to the foreign ministry for questioning.
A spokesperson for the European Commission said Thursday that Madagascar has now formally requested they replace Ambassador Burger.
In a letter to the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Madagascar’s Foreign Minister Rasata Rafaravavitafika requested the EU “proceed to replace the head of its delegation in Madagascar.”
The EU is currently reviewing the request in collaboration with the Malagasy government, the EU’s spokesperson added, with plans for regular ambassador rotations scheduled for September.
Clara Randrianjara, director of communications for the Madagascar foreign ministry, declined to comment to AFP, stressing that “this letter should have remained confidential.”
In late February, Madagascar’s High Constitutional Court confirmed the surgical castration component of the bill, while excluding chemical castration because of its “temporary and reversible nature” that would not “permanently incapacitate sexual predators.”