Event 474

{
  "category": "Uncategorized",
  "confidence": "High",
  "country": "Latvia",
  "description": "The European Court of Human Rights (Fifth Section) issued a judgment in the case of Ždanoka v. Latvia (No. 2) on 25 July 2024. The case involved the removal of the applicant's name from the list of candidates for parliamentary elections on the grounds of her past active participation in the Communist Party of Latvia and her current political activities. The Court found the removal lawful, considering the legitimate aims of protecting the state's independence, public order, and national security, and the wide margin of appreciation allowed to Latvia. The judgment emphasizes the balance between the applicant's rights and Latvia's sovereignty and security interests.",
  "event_time_utc": "2024-07-25T12:00:00Z",
  "evidence": [
    "Art 3 P1 • Stand for election • Removal of applicant’s name from list of candidates for parliamentary elections on grounds of her past active participation in the Communist Party of Latvia and her current political activities • Case a continuation of Ždanoka v. Latvia [GC] and principles set out therein as to lawfulness and legitimate aim applied • Impugned restriction foreshiciently foreseeable and thus lawful • Legitimate aims of protection of the State’s independence, of the State’s independence order and national security • Significant change to the general context since Ždanoka v. Latvia (and Europe in general) no longer enjoying the “greater stability” referred to by the Grand Chamber in that case • Following Ždanoka v. Latvia [GC] the respondent State increasingly had legitimate reasons to fear for its security, territorial integrity, and democratic order calling for even wider margin of appreciation in protecting those values • Legislature’s limited action in respect of periodic reassessment of impugned restriction not unjustified in specific and sensitive context • Constitutionsal Court’s fresh interpretation of impugned restriction, in view of developments, narrowing down legal basis to persons who endangered and continue to endanger the independence of the Latvian State and the principles of a democratic State governed by the rule of law, within its interpretative authority and not arbitrary or unreasonable • Reasons given by the Central Electoral Commission held to be sufficient given specific case-circumstances and applicant’s public profile and support of Russian Federation’s actions in the Crimean Peninsula • Domestic proceedings afforded sufficient procedural safeguards against arbitrariness • Applicant able to stand and was elected in European Parliament Elections • Wide margin of appreciation not overstepped."
  ],
  "extra": {
    "extra": {
      "extra": {
        "evidence": [
          "Art 3 P1 • Stand for election • Removal of applicant’s name from list of candidates for parliamentary elections on grounds of her past active participation in the Communist Party of Latvia and her current political activities • Case a continuation of Ždanoka v. Latvia [GC] and principles set out therein as to lawfulness and legitimate aim applied • Impugned restriction foreshiciently foreseeable and thus lawful • Legitimate aims of protection of the State’s independence, of the State’s independence order and national security • Significant change to the general context since Ždanoka v. Latvia (and Europe in general) no longer enjoying the “greater stability” referred to by the Grand Chamber in that case • Following Ždanoka v. Latvia [GC] the respondent State increasingly had legitimate reasons to fear for its security, territorial integrity, and democratic order calling for even wider margin of appreciation in protecting those values • Legislature’s limited action in respect of periodic reassessment of impugned restriction not unjustified in specific and sensitive context • Constitutionsal Court’s fresh interpretation of impugned restriction, in view of developments, narrowing down legal basis to persons who endangered and continue to endanger the independence of the Latvian State and the principles of a democratic State governed by the rule of law, within its interpretative authority and not arbitrary or unreasonable • Reasons given by the Central Electoral Commission held to be sufficient given specific case-circumstances and applicant’s public profile and support of Russian Federation’s actions in the Crimean Peninsula • Domestic proceedings afforded sufficient procedural safeguards against arbitrariness • Applicant able to stand and was elected in European Parliament Elections • Wide margin of appreciation not overstepped."
        ]
      }
    }
  },
  "media_assets": [
    {
      "description": "Screenshot capture",
      "type": "screenshot",
      "url": "/media/event_474_1764370893_a71e3aa5.jpg"
    },
    {
      "capture_url": null,
      "captured_at": "2025-11-29T14:39:57.050986Z",
      "description": "SingleFile archive",
      "hash": "0a6f40f9d58bb4f59e4048e476f4a2fc3220a4ac4e8d7ee44cec00d6213a3b2e",
      "mime": "text/html",
      "origin": "singlefile",
      "size_bytes": 5558510,
      "source_url": "https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-235140",
      "type": "document",
      "url": "/media/event_474_20251129_143900_239e6721.html"
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  "schema_version": "v1",
  "screenshot_count": 1.0,
  "url": "https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-235140"
}

{
  "5th Column of Russians Inside (which countries)": "LV-EU",
  "Attack Type": "",
  "Borders Including Sea, Air,  Violation or Sabotage (which countries)": "",
  "Continuous? (e.g. Jammers)": "",
  "Country (FI;EE;LV;LT;PL;BSR;Air)\nSeparated by Semicolon": "LV",
  "Date": "25-Jul-24",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "",
  "Follow-Up Link?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-235140",
  "Follow-Up NOTES": "",
  "Follow-Up incl. Investigation, Prosecution?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "ECHR backs ??Latvia's decision to bar T.  danoka from elections",
  "Latitude, Longitude (WGS84, Decimal Degrees)": "",
  "NOTES": "Pro-Russian political figure (longtime spy), in European Parliament, restriction deemed proportionate. ",
  "Political Disruptions w/ Laws to Favor Kremlin (which countries)": "",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "",
  "Screen Snapshot": "",
  "Screen Snapshots": "",
  "Type Dropdown": "",
  "Where?\n(Air, Land, Sea)": ""
}