European Parliament investigating Latvian MEP for working for Russia’s FSB spy service

The European Parliament’s Advisory Committee on the Conduct of Members is looking at Latvian MEP Tatjana Ždanoka’s ties to the aggressor state.

The accusations must be "taken very seriously", said European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. This issue is also to be brought up at the Conference of Presidents on Jan. 31.

The European Parliament did not want to comment on the accusations, but mentioned that they had already been reported in Latvia for some time, the European Parliament’s press service told DW.

“All MEPs are emphasized to be subject to the same rules [1976 Electoral Act, The Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and the European Parliament Rules of Procedure] regarding independence of mandate and ethics,” the press service wrote.

“The deputy is responsible to the voters, like all members of the European Parliament.”

The European Parliament President can impose sanctions for code of conduct violations, but the decision to remove MEP from office is made by the competent authorities in her country.

The Insider published an investigation earlier revealing the Russian FSB had recruited a Latvian MEP. It is not known exactly when, but in 2005 Ždanoka was already in regular contact with her case officer — a veteran FSB cadre from the St. Petersburg central directorate, Dmitry Gladey.

Ždanoka was the organizer of public hearings in the European Parliament regarding the attitude of the Estonian authorities to the protests in Tallinn after the removal of a monument to a Soviet soldier. She also received additional money from Gladey to purchase St. George's ribbons to celebrate the Russian so-called Victory Day in Latvia. (St. George’s ribbons are a pro-Russian military symbol consisting of three black and two orange stripes — ed.)

The MEP used her seat in the European Parliament to help FSB employees get into the EU, journalists reported.