United List calls for suspension of MEP Zdanoka-led party Russian Union of Latvia

RIGA - After reports of Latvian MEP Tatjana Zdanoka's collaboration with the Russian intelligence service, the United List has called for the suspension of the Zdanoka-led political party Russian Union of Latvia (LKS). 

"The Latvian state must take immediate, clear and unambiguous action," the United List says in a statement, noting that Zdanoka is a co-chair of the LKS party. Therefore, the question of the LKS' negative impact Latvia's security is logical, the United List says. 

The United List argues that a democratic country cannot tolerate the activities of political organizations whose leaders not only publicly advocate, but also take real action to undermine the country's statehood. The Union List calls on the responsible authorities to decide on the immediate suspension of the LKS, thereby sending a clear signal that threats to Latvia's security will not be tolerated.

Leaked emails show that at least since 2004, Latvian MEP Zdanoka has been reporting to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) about her activities and asking for money to organize events. However, Zdanoka denies working with Russian intelligence and refers to one of her contacts as a youth friend, reports the Baltic Centre for Investigative Journalism Re:Baltica.

The emails were leaked to the Russian investigative magazine The Insider, which shared the information with Re:Baltica, the Estonian web portal Delfi and the Swedish newspaper Expressen. In a reply to Re:Baltica, Zdanoka did not deny the authenticity of the emails, but said that she considered it unacceptable to comment on the content of personal documents obtained by hacking.

Zdanoka has been a member of the European Parliament since 2004 and has been an outspoken supporter of the Moscow regime throughout this time. Her leaked email correspondence with her FSB contacts show that one of the MEP's duties was to stir up pro-Kremlin sentiment in the Baltic region. She held meetings with FSB intelligence officers in Moscow and Brussels and solicited money from Russian sources for her political activities and events, as well as wrote reports to her Russian contacts.