Tatjana Ždanoka
Encyclopedia
Tatyana Arkad'evna Zhdanok, , born May 8, 1950 in Riga
, is a Latvia
n politician and Member of the European Parliament
and a co-Chairperson of For Human Rights in United Latvia
; part of the European Greens–European Free Alliance group. Zhdanok is co-chairperson of ForHRUL since 2001. Since she is prohibited from being nominated to Latvian Parliament or local councils under Latvian law due to her former allegiance with the Communist Party of Latvia
after January 1991, she is (similarly with Alfrēds Rubiks
) in the peculiar position of being restricted to Europarliament elections.
, Zhdanok is of Latvian Jewish origin, coming from a family decimated by Latvian Nazi collaborators during World War II
.
Zhdanok became politically active in the late 1980s, at first a member of the Popular Front, she soon became one of the leaders of the Interfront, a political organization opposing Latvia's independence from the Soviet Union
and market reforms. Prior to that, she taught mathematics
at the University of Latvia
, where she received her doctorate
in mathematics in 1992. In 1989, she was elected to the Riga city Soviet, and in 1990, to Supreme Soviet
of the Latvian SSR
. Zhdanok was also active with the Communist Party of Latvia
.
From 1995 till 2004 Zhdanok was co-chairperson of the Latvian Human Rights Committee
(a member of FIDH). 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.
After Latvia regained independence, Zhdanok was banned from running for the Latvian parliament Saeima
and deprived of her seat in Riga city council in 1999, because she had remained active in the Communist Party after the party leadership called for a coup against the elected government of the Latvian SSR
in January 1991. Therefore she sued Latvia
in the European Court of Human Rights
.
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 elections. Zhdanok was elected to the European Parliament in June 2004 and won the court case a few days later with a margin of 5-2. 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 Zhdanok's rights had not been violated.
In 2005 Zhdanok became one of the founders of the EU Russian-Speakers' Alliance.
In 2004, she ran successfully for MEP
as a candidate of the largest Russian political bloc in Latvia. She also won a seat in 2009. In the European Parliament she is a member of the fraction The Greens–European Free Alliance.
has called her a "radical" opposed to Latvian national statehood.
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, is a Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n politician and Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
and a co-Chairperson of For Human Rights in United Latvia
For Human Rights in United Latvia
For Human Rights in United Latvia is a left-wing political party in Latvia, supported mainly by ethnic Russians and other non-Latvian minorities. Co-chairpersons of its Ruling Board are Tatjana Ždanoka, Jakovs Pliners and Miroslav Mitrofanov....
; part of the European Greens–European Free Alliance group. Zhdanok is co-chairperson of ForHRUL since 2001. Since she is prohibited from being nominated to Latvian Parliament or local councils under Latvian law due to her former allegiance with the Communist Party of Latvia
Communist Party of Latvia
Communist Party of Latvia was a political party in Latvia.- Latvian Social-Democracy prior to 1919 :The party was founded at a congress in June 1904. Initially the party was known as the Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party . During its second party congress in 1905 it adopted the programme of...
after January 1991, she is (similarly with Alfrēds Rubiks
Alfreds Rubiks
Alfrēds Rubiks is a Latvian Socialist politician and a former leader of the Communist Party of Latvia. Currently he is the Member of the European Parliament from Latvia...
) in the peculiar position of being restricted to Europarliament elections.
Biography
Born in RigaRiga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, Zhdanok is of Latvian Jewish origin, coming from a family decimated by Latvian Nazi collaborators during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Zhdanok became politically active in the late 1980s, at first a member of the Popular Front, she soon became one of the leaders of the Interfront, a political organization opposing Latvia's independence from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and market reforms. Prior to that, she taught mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
at the University of Latvia
University of Latvia
University of Latvia is a university located in Riga, Latvia. Being established in 1919, University of Latvia is the biggest university in the Baltic states.-History:...
, where she received her doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in mathematics in 1992. In 1989, she was elected to the Riga city Soviet, and in 1990, to Supreme Soviet
Supreme Soviet
The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union was the Supreme Soviet in the Soviet Union and the only one with the power to pass constitutional amendments...
of the Latvian SSR
Latvian SSR
The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Latvian SSR for short, was one of the republics that made up the Soviet Union. Established on 21 July 1940 as a puppet state during World War II in the territory of the previously independent Republic of Latvia after it had been occupied by...
. Zhdanok was also active with the Communist Party of Latvia
Communist Party of Latvia
Communist Party of Latvia was a political party in Latvia.- Latvian Social-Democracy prior to 1919 :The party was founded at a congress in June 1904. Initially the party was known as the Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party . During its second party congress in 1905 it adopted the programme of...
.
From 1995 till 2004 Zhdanok was co-chairperson of the Latvian Human Rights Committee
Latvian Human Rights Committee
Latvian Human Rights Committee is a human rights non-governmental organization in Latvia. It is member of international human rights and anti-racism NGOs FIDH, AEDH and ENAR. Co-chairpersons of LHRC since 2004 are Aleksejs Dimitrovs, Genadijs Kotovs and Natalija Jolkina...
(a member of FIDH). She has also been one of the leaders of Equal Rights
Equal Rights (Latvia)
Equal Rights was a political party in Latvia, mainly supported by the Russian minority.ER was founded on the basis of the "Equal Rights" faction of the Supreme Soviet as an NGO in 1993. The Equal Rights faction had been founded in April, 1990, after the Latvian parliamentary election, 1990.The...
since it foundation in 1993 and of the For Human Rights in United Latvia
For Human Rights in United Latvia
For Human Rights in United Latvia is a left-wing political party in Latvia, supported mainly by ethnic Russians and other non-Latvian minorities. Co-chairpersons of its Ruling Board are Tatjana Ždanoka, Jakovs Pliners and Miroslav Mitrofanov....
alliance.
After Latvia regained independence, Zhdanok was banned from running for the Latvian parliament Saeima
Saeima
Saeima is the parliament of the Republic of Latvia. It is a unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by proportional representation, with seats allocated to political parties which gain at least 5% of the popular vote. Elections are scheduled to be held once every four years,...
and deprived of her seat in Riga city council in 1999, because she had remained active in the Communist Party after the party leadership called for a coup against the elected government of the Latvian SSR
Latvian SSR
The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Latvian SSR for short, was one of the republics that made up the Soviet Union. Established on 21 July 1940 as a puppet state during World War II in the territory of the previously independent Republic of Latvia after it had been occupied by...
in January 1991. Therefore she sued Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
in the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
.
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 elections. Zhdanok was elected to the European Parliament in June 2004 and won the court case a few days later with a margin of 5-2. 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
Occupation of Latvia 1940-1945
The Baltic sovereign nation of Latvia has been occupied by military forces from other nations from time to time. Occupations of Latvia have included:* Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940* Occupation of Latvia by Nazi Germany...
had not been sufficiently taken into account, and on March 16, 2006, the court ruled 13-4 that Zhdanok's rights had not been violated.
In 2005 Zhdanok became one of the founders of the EU Russian-Speakers' Alliance.
In 2004, she ran successfully for MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
as a candidate of the largest Russian political bloc in Latvia. She also won a seat in 2009. In the European Parliament she is a member of the fraction The Greens–European Free Alliance.
Criticism
The Jamestown Foundation's Vladimir SocorVladimir Socor
Vladimir Socor is a political analyst of East European affairs for the Jamestown Foundation and its Eurasia Daily Monitor, currently residing in Munich, Germany...
has called her a "radical" opposed to Latvian national statehood.
External links
- CV of Ždanoka on the website of ForHRUL party
- Tatjana Ždanoka in the European Parliament
- HRUL in European Parliament: Europeanisation of a Soviet Legacy? by A. Vysotskaya
- Press release of ECHR on judgement in case Ždanoka vs. Latvia, 2004
- Judgment of the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights, Case of Ždanoka vs. Latvia, 2006
- B. Bowring Negating Pluralist Democracy: The European Court of Human Rights Forgets the Rights of the Electors // Kurdish Human Rights ProjectKurdish Human Rights ProjectThe Kurdish Human Rights Project is the only non-partisan human rights organisation consistently working in the Kurdish regions of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria and elsewhere...
Legal Review No. 11 (2007)