Tatjana Ždanoka

Tatyana Khesin was born in 1950 in Riga in the family of Soviet navy officer Arkady Khesin and mathematics teacher Tamara Ivanovna, and is of mixed Latvian Jewish-Russian origin. Much of Ždanoka's paternal family was killed by the Latvian Auxiliary Police in 1941 during the Holocaust.Lieven, Anatol. The Baltic Revolution: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Path to Independence. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1994. {{ISBN|0-300-06078-5}}, {{ISBN|978-0-300-06078-2}}. p. 442. In 1975, she married Aleksandr Zhdanok, whom she divorced in the late 1980s.

In 1972, Ždanoka graduated from the Latvian State University with a degree in mathematics and started teaching mathematics at the university until 1990. In 1980, she gained the Candidate of Sciences degree in physics and mathematics and in 1992 a Doctor of Sciences degree in mathematics, both from the Latvian State University.{{cite web |title=Tatyana Zhdanok |url=https://www.russkije.lv/en/lib/read/t-zhdanok.html |access-date=August 22, 2018 |work=Russians of Latvia |publisher=Institute of the Russian heritage of Latvia}}

After the restoration of the independence of Latvia, Ždanoka applied for Latvian citizenship through naturalisation but was denied since her paternal grandmother had moved to St. Peterburg before World War I and not returned to Latvia before 1940. In 1996, after a lengthy legal battle Ždanoka finally acquired Latvian citizenship, blaming her difficulties on anti-Semitism.{{cite web |last=Coleman |first=Nick |url=https://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/4958/ |title=Most stubborn survivor speaks out |date=May 17, 2001 |publisher=The Baltic Times |access-date=April 8, 2005}}

Ždanoka became politically active in the late 1980s during the perestroika, first as a member of the Popular Front, then as one of the leaders of the Interfront, a political organization opposing Latvia's independence from the Soviet Union. In 1989, she was elected to the Riga City Council, and in 1990, to the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR. From 1971 to 1991 Ždanoka was also a member of the Communist Party of Latvia, but maintains she was "not part of the party hierarchy."

From 1995 till 2004 Ždanoka was co-chairwoman of the Latvian Human Rights Committee (a member of FIDH).{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/28619/TATJANA_ZDANOKA_home.html|title=Tatjana ŽDANOKA|publisher=European Parliament|access-date=August 22, 2018}} She has also been one of the leaders of Equal Rights since it foundation in 1993 and of the For Human Rights in United Latvia alliance.{{cite journal |last=Socor |first=Vladimir |authorlink=Vladimir Socor |url=https://jamestown.org/program/zhdanoka-candidacy-polarizes-latvian-election/ |title=Zhdanoka Candidacy Polarizes Latvian Election |date=May 23, 2004 |journal=Eurasia Daily Monitor |volume=1 |issue=16 |publisher=Jamestown Foundation |access-date=April 8, 2005}}

In 1999, Ždanoka was banned from running for the Latvian parliament Saeima and deprived of her seat on Riga City Council, because she had participated in two seats of the Communist Party's Audit Committee after the party leadership called for a coup against the elected government of the Latvian SSR in January 1991. Subsequently, she sued Latvia in the European Court of Human Rights. Ždanoka argued that the Communist Party was still legal until September 1991 and she had remained because she believed the Communist Party would be part of the democratic, multi-party system and "considered it dishonest to leave one's party because of hard times."

With the court case pending, the Latvian parliament decided not to impose restrictions on former members of the Communist Party in the 2004 European Parliament election. Ždanoka was elected to the European Parliament in June 2004 and won the court case a few days later with a margin of 5-2.{{cite web |last=Eglitis |first=Aaron |url=https://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/10333/ |title=Zdanoka wins case in human rights court|date=July 1, 2004 |publisher=The Baltic Times |access-date=April 8, 2005}} Latvia appealed the decision to the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights on the grounds that Latvia's emergence from totalitarian rule brought about by the occupation of Latvia had not been sufficiently taken into account, and on March 16, 2006, the court ruled 13-4 that Ždanoka's rights had not been violated.[http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-72794 ECtHR Grand Chamber judgment in Ždanoka v. Latvia] para. 135

In 2004, she ran successfully for MEP as a candidate of the largest Russian political bloc in Latvia becoming a member of the Greens–European Free Alliance fraction in the European Parliament.{{cite web |last=Peach |first=Gary |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/eastern-outsider/ |title=Eastern outsider |date=28 March 2012 |publisher=Politico |access-date=19 March 2014}} In 2005, Ždanoka became one of the founders of the EU Russian-Speakers' Alliance.{{cite web|last=Sergeeva|first=Natalya|url=https://rus.delfi.lv/news/daily/latvia/prezentovan-sajt-russkogo-alyansa.d?id=13585949|title=Website of Russian Alliance presented|date=February 10, 2006|publisher=Delfi|access-date=February 23, 2006|language=Russian}} She also won a seat in 2009.{{cite web|last=Näf|first=Kaspar|url=http://www.postimees.ee/?id=130481|title=The European elections strengthened Russians of Latvian|date=June 11, 2009|publisher=Postimees|access-date=June 11, 2009|language=Estonian}}

On 11 March 2014, Ždanoka and her party organized a rally at the European Commission Representation in Riga in support of the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, with about 200 participants.{{cite web |url=https://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/34591/|title=Zdanoka promotes Soviet manifesto |date=March 19, 2014 |publisher=The Baltic Times |access-date=August 22, 2018}} In May, Ždanoka proposed European Council to classify Ukrainian political bloc Right Sector as a terrorist organization.{{cite web|url=https://www.novinite.com/articles/160330/European+Parliament+Mulls+Putting+Right+Sector+on+Terrorism+List|title=European Parliament Mulls Putting Right Sector on Terrorism List|date=May 7, 2014|publisher=Novinite|access-date=March 19, 2014}} In response, Ukrainian Congress of Latvia petitioned Ministry of Justice of Latvia to declare the political activities of Ždanoka and her party as anti-constitutional.{{cite web |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/society/ukrainian-community-deeply-worried.a96367/ |title=Ukrainian community deeply worried |date=29 August 2014 |publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia |access-date=4 January 2015}}

A submission was made by another Latvian MEP, Kārlis Šadurskis, to the Latvian state prosecutor to investigate Ždanoka for undermining the Latvian state in her support for Russia. In his submission, Šadurskis pointed to her participation at events organised by "Essence of Time" that advocates the restoration of the USSR.{{cite web|url=https://bnn-news.com/112070-112070|title=Security Police investigates Latvian Pro-Kremlin MEP|date=April 3, 2014|publisher=Baltic News Network|access-date=March 19, 2014}} The application of Šadurskis was rejected by Security Police who did not find a crime in Ždanoka's actions.{{cite web|url=https://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/34896/|title=No criminal charges to be filed against Zdanoka|date=March 29, 2014|publisher=The Baltic Times|access-date=August 22, 2018}}

In 2016, Ždanoka voted against the European Parliament resolution of 23 November that condemned the use of disinformation and propaganda by Russia and Islamist terrorist organisations and called for strengthening EU's "strategic communication" task force, as well as investing more in awareness raising, education, online and local media, investigative journalism and information literacy.{{cite web |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/politics/updated-latvias-meps-split-on-russian-propaganda-threat.a211721/ |title=UPDATED: Latvia's MEPs split on Russian propaganda threat |date=November 25, 2016 |publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia |access-date=August 22, 2018}} Prior to the vote she distributed a letter to other MEPs, saying that the resolution crosses "all red lines" and that Russia's state-sponsored news and information channels are no different to Western media that exhibit "double standards", recommending them to watch Russia Today and form their own opinion of the channel.{{cite web |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/politics/zdanoka-leaps-to-the-defense-of-russia-today.a211773/ |title=Zdanoka leaps to the defense of Russia Today |date=November 25, 2016 |publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia |access-date=August 22, 2018}}

In January 2018 Ždanoka left European Parliament and returned to Latvian politics with the intention of running in the 2018 Latvian parliamentary election in October.{{cite web|url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/politics/zdanoka-quits-brussels-to-run-saeima-campaign-for-party.a264291/|title=Ždanoka quits Brussels to run Saeima campaign for party|date=January 15, 2018|publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia|access-date=February 18, 2018}} She was named Latvian Russian Union's number 1 candidate for Vidzeme Region, but was removed from the list of candidates by Latvia's Central Election Commission on the same basis that barred her from running in 1999.{{cite web |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/saeima/russian-union-leader-zdanoka-nixed-from-saeima-elections.a289500/ |title=Russian Union leader Ždanoka nixed from Saeima elections |date=21 August 2018 |publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia |access-date=22 August 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.baltictimes.com/latvia_s_russian_union_leader_zdanoka_barred_from_running_in_saeima_elections_12745607195b8823a56c61c/ |title=Latvia's Russian Union leader Zdanoka barred from running in Saeima elections |date=30 August 2018 |publisher=The Baltic Times |access-date=22 August 2018}} Ždanoka contested it in the Administrative District Court, but the court upheld the decision made by the Central Election Commission.{{cite news |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/election/no-saeima-election-run-for-zdanoka.a291035/ |title=No Saeima election run for Ždanoka |date=4 September 2018 |publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia |agency=LETA |access-date=26 September 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.baltictimes.com/court_upholds_central_election_commission_s_decision_banning_zdanoka_from_running_in_saeima_elections/|title=Court upholds Central Election Commission's decision banning Zdanoka from running in Saeima elections|date=September 4, 2018|publisher=The Baltic Times|access-date=September 26, 2018}} Ždanoka applied to the European Court of Human Rights, which communicated her application to the Latvian government in 2021.[http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-208723 Ždanoka v. Latvia] European Court of Human Rights

In the 2019 European Parliament election her party received 6.24% of the votes, which gave it one seat at the European Parliament that, again, was filled by Ždanoka who personally received 18,098 plusses and was crossed out 739 times.{{cite web |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/election/european-parliament-election-results-announced-in-latvia.a320401/ |title=European Parliament election results announced in Latvia |date=27 May 2019 |publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia |access-date=29 September 2020}} She started serving as vice-chairperson in the Petitions Committee and replacement member in the Employment and Public Affairs Committee and named youth and pre-pension employment, adoption of benefits for young families and equalization of social rights in the European Union as her priorities.{{cite web |url=https://bnn-news.com/latvian-meps-explain-their-priorities-in-european-parliament-committees-205543 |title=Latvian MEPs explain their priorities in European Parliament committees |date=23 September 2019 |publisher=Baltic News Network |access-date=29 September 2020}}

On 2 March 2022, she was one of 13 MEPs who voted against condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine.{{cite web |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/politics/latvian-mep-refuses-to-condemn-russian-invasion-of-ukraine.a445994/ |title=Latvian MEP refuses to condemn Russian invasion of Ukraine |date=2 March 2022 |publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia |access-date=2 March 2022}} For this she was eventually forced to leave the European Greens–European Free Alliance group.{{cite web |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/politics/zdanoka-out-in-the-cold-in-european-parliament.a451087/ |title=Ždanoka out in the cold in European Parliament |last=Konohovs |first=Artjoms |date=5 April 2022 |publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia |access-date=5 April 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://bnn-news.com/tatyana-zhdanok-kicked-from-mep-group-for-not-condemning-russian-aggression-233718 |title=Tatyana Zhdanok kicked from MEP group for not condemning Russian aggression |date=April 5, 2022 |publisher=Baltic News Network |access-date=March 19, 2014}} On 13 May, Ždanoka and six other people were detained in the {{Interlanguage link|Town Hall Square, RIga|lt=Riga Town Hall Square|lv|Rātslaukums (Rīga)}} at an unauthorized protest against the demolition of the Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders.{{cite web |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/society/mep-detained-at-unauthorized-protest-in-riga.a456672/ |title=MEP detained at unauthorized protest in Rīga |last1=Zvirbulis |first1=Ģirts |last2=Feldmanis |first2=Kristaps |date=13 May 2022 |publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia |access-date=13 May 2022}}

On 15 September 2022, she was one of 16 MEPs who voted against condemning President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua for human rights violations, in particular the arrest of Bishop Rolando Álvarez.{{cite web|title=European Parliament condemns growing repression of Catholic Church in Nicaragua, calls for release of bishop|url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252307/european-parliament-condemns-growing-repression-of-catholic-church-in-nicaragua-calls-for-release-of-bishop}}{{cite web|title=Nicaragua, in particular the arrest of the bishop Rolando Álvarez|url= https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PV-9-2022-09-15-RCV_FR.pdf}}

Ždanoka has described herself as a social democrat "combining the good parts of socialism and capitalism". During perestroika, she advocated for economic reform within the Soviet Union and called the pro-independence Popular Front of Latvia "dangerously nationalistic". For a long time, she opposed the accession of Latvia to the European Union believing that "complete acceptance of the EU's rules would lead to the destruction of our industry and agriculture" and that Latvia should be a "financial bridge between the East and the West" but gave up her Euroscepticism after attending the 2000 New European Left Forum in Sweden. Ždanoka still continues opposing NATO and advocates for the Baltic region to retain its "historical closeness to Russia" as a way to avoid the "destruction of Russia and the whole region".

Ždanoka said that during the presidency of Boris Yeltsin she was "ashamed to admit" she was Russian, but "was no longer embarrassed for Russia and its leadership" when Vladimir Putin became president, although still critical of his state capitalism and corruption. She supports the recognition of Russian as an official language in Latvia and the European Union, pointing to the 9 million EU citizens who are native Russian speakers in the Baltic states and Southeast Europe.{{cite news |url=https://euobserver.com/eu-political/115269 |title=Latvia vote poses question on Russian as EU language |last=Rettman |first=Andrew |date=February 15, 2012 |newspaper=EUobserver |access-date=March 19, 2014}}

In 2020, Ždanoka, alongside her party members Miroslav Mitrofanov and Andrejs Mamikins, was included in the European Platform for Democratic Elections database of "biased observers" for backing disputed elections in Russia and separatist areas in Ukraine.{{cite web |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/politics/five-latvian-politicians-named-as-politically-biased-election-observers.a365793/ |title=Five Latvian politicians named as 'politically biased election observers' |date=July 3, 2020 |publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia |access-date=July 19, 2020}}

On March 5, 2019, State Security Service (SSS) launched a criminal procedure over incitement to ethnic hatred or discord for Ždanoka's remarks at a discussion organized by her at the European Parliament, where she likened the situation of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in Latvia to Jews prior the World War II.{{cite news|url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/society/security-service-starts-case-over-zdanokas-remarks-in-ep-discussion.a311776/ |title=Security Service starts case over Ždanoka's remarks in EP discussion |date=March 6, 2019 |publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia |agency=LETA |access-date=March 10, 2019}}{{cite news |url=https://www.baltictimes.com/state_security_service_starts_criminal_procedure_over_zdanoka_s_remarks_in_european_parliament_discussion/ |title=State Security Service starts criminal procedure over Zdanoka's remarks in European Parliament discussion |date=March 6, 2019 |publisher=The Baltic Times |access-date=March 10, 2019}} The case was terminated by the SSS in 2020, for absence of any crime in Ždanoka's remarks.[https://rus.delfi.lv/news/daily/latvia/sgb-zakryl-delo-protiv-zhdanok-sostav-prestupleniya-v-ee-vyskazyvaniyah-ne-obnaruzhen.d?id=52106075 СГБ закрыл дело против Жданок: состав преступления в ее высказываниях не обнаружен] DELFI

Ždanoka's participation in the controversial 2014 Crimean referendum as an international observer in a trip paid by the European Union{{cite web|last=Rozenberga|first=Māra|url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/society/meps-visit-to-crimea-paid-for-by-european-parliament.a156373/|title=MEP's visit to Crimea paid for by European Parliament|date=November 24, 2015|publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia|access-date=August 22, 2018}} and her remarks in support of it were criticised by the president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz as "completely contradictory to the position of the European Parliament and the EU." Ždanoka responded by stressing that Schulz is an MEP "just like she is", and that only her voters can tell her what to do.{{cite web|url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/politics/ep-president-scolds-soviet-relic-for-crimea-posture.a100021/|title=EP President scolds Soviet relic for Crimea posture|date=September 26, 2014|publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia|access-date=August 22, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/35587/|title=Soviet relic Zdanoka reprimanded by EP President Schulz|date=September 29, 2014|publisher=The Baltic Times|access-date=August 22, 2018}} Co-chairwoman of the Greens/European Free Alliance Rebecca Harms called Ždanoka's actions and statements as "totally unacceptable" and "in complete and direct opposition with the very clear position the Greens/EFA group has taken since the outset on this issue", calling the European Free Alliance to expel Ždanoka from its ranks. Ždanoka's actions were also condemned by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs, with Ministry's press secretary Kārlis Eihenbaums claiming that Ždanoka did not to represent Latvia nor the EU, as she did not have any official authorization from either.{{cite web|url=https://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/34594/|title=Zdanoka's actions 'unacceptable,' says Harms|date=September 30, 2014|publisher=The Baltic Times|access-date=August 22, 2018}}

In 2024, a report from an investigative journalism website The Insider accused Ždanoka of being a spy for Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) since at least 2004.{{cite web | url=https://theins.ru/en/politics/268694 | title=Exclusive: Latvian Member of European Parliament is an agent of Russian intelligence, leaked emails confirm }}{{cite web | url=https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/01/29/new-investigation-alleges-latvian-member-of-european-parliament-has-secretly-worked-for-russian-fsb-for-20-years | title=New investigation alleges Latvian member of European Parliament has secretly worked for Russian FSB for 20 years }}{{cite news |last=O’Leary |first=Naomi |date=29 January 2024 |title=Latvian MEP linked to Wallace and Daly accused of working with Russian intelligence |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2024/01/29/latvian-mep-linked-to-wallace-and-daly-accused-of-working-with-russian-intelligence/ |work=Irish Times |location= |access-date=29 January 2024}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Tatjana Ždanoka}}

• [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/28619/TATJANA_ZDANOKA_home.html Tatjana Ždanoka in the European Parliament]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110723023016/http://soc.kuleuven.be/iieb/ibl/docs_ibl/WP28-Vysotskaya.pdf HRUL in European Parliament: Europeanisation of a Soviet Legacy?] by A. Vysotskaya
• [http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng-press?i=003-1031666-1067170 Press release of ECHR on judgement in case Ždanoka vs. Latvia, 2004]
• B. Bowring [http://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/717/ Negating Pluralist Democracy: The European Court of Human Rights Forgets the Rights of the Electors] // Prava Cheloveka: Praktika Yevropeiskovo Suda po pravam cheloveka (Human Rights: Case Law of the European Court of Human Rights) 6 (27), pp. 28–80.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Zdanoka, Tatjana}}

Category:1950 births

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