Latvia’s State Security Service, known as the VDD, has launched criminal proceedings against Tatjana Ždanoka, a European Parliament lawmaker and Latvian citizen, amidst suspicion of cooperation with Russian intelligence and security services, according to local Latvian media outlets.
The VDD’s investigation into Ždanoka began following collaborative articles published by Russian, Nordic, and Baltic media outlets. These articles alleged ties between Ždanoka and the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) dating back to 2004. Latvian authorities confirmed to news agency LETA that the proceedings against Ždanoka were initiated on February 22 of this year.
Prior to the VDD’s investigation, the European Parliament (EP) had also carried out an investigation into similar allegations of cooperation between Ždanoka and Russian intelligence services, followed by a resolution expressing concern over the potential labelling of MEPs as “agents of influence” on behalf of Moscow.
Ždanoka, having joined the EP in 2004 and served as the president of the EU Russian-Speakers’ Alliance since 2007, has faced intense scrutiny for her alleged involvement with Russia. A series of leaked emails published by the Swedish newspaper Expressen in January seemed to detail communications between Ždanoka and her alleged handler. The newspaper also noted Ždanoka’s failure to condemn Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, interpreting this as evidence of pro-Kremlin sentiment.
The announcement of the Latvian proceedings occurred without any following statement from the EU, and no subsequent comments have been made by Latvian authorities. Attempts to request a comment from Ždanoka have gone unanswered, according to reports.