The State Security Service of Latvia has started criminal proceedings against the member of the European Parliament Tetiana Zhdanok from the Latvian party "Russian Union of Latvia". She is suspected of cooperation with the special services of the Russian Federation.
This is reported by Delfi.
At the end of January, The Insider published an investigation in which it was claimed that Tatyana Zhdanok, a member of the European Parliament from Latvia, was recruited by the Russian FSB back in 2004. Journalists received the deputyʼs correspondence with the alleged Russian agent with whom Zhdanok coordinated her actions.
In response to the investigation, Zhdanok herself stated that she had never cooperated with Russian agents. In addition, she said that she "will not be intimidated" and that she will continue to use the European Parliament to "fight neo-fascism".
Zhdanokʼs mandate as a member of the European Parliament expires this year. Earlier, she was expelled from the European Green faction for refusing to condemn the invasion of Ukraine.
Immediately after the publication of the journalistic investigation , the State Security Service announced that it would conduct an assessment of the information published in the mass media about Zhdanokʼs possible cooperation with the Russian special services. At the same time, the European Parliament started an investigation against the deputy. The State Security Service of Latvia started the criminal process against Zhdanok on February 22.
In the commentary of the investigative journalism center Re:Baltica, the State Security Service noted that the law provides for responsibility for assisting a foreign state in activities directed against Latvia only from 2016 and cannot be applied retroactively. At the same time, the State Security Service will evaluate one of Zhdanokʼs e-mails, dated 2017, when responsibility is already provided.