European Parliament to investigate Latvian member alleged to have secretly worked for Russian FSB for 20 years

The European Parliament has opened an internal investigation in response to allegations that Tatjana Ždanoka, one of its members from Latvia, has ties to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), reports Deutsche Welle.

A spokesperson for European Parliament President Roberta Metsola says Metsola takes the claims very seriously and will raise the issue when the Conference of Presidents meets on January 31.

In response to an official inquiry from Deutsche Welle, the European Parliament’s press service said it would not comment on the allegations but pointed out that accusations against Ždanoka regarding clandestine cooperation with Russia surfaced in the media several years ago.

If the investigation confirms the allegations, the European Parliament president could impose sanctions, notes Deutsche Welle. The European Parliament cannot remove a member from office; however, under certain conditions, this action can be taken by the Latvian authorities.