Vladimir Linderman

Vladimir Ilyich Linderman (Russian: Влади́мир Ильи́ч Ли́ндерман, Latvian: Vladimirs Lindermans, pseudonym Abel (А́бель); born November 3, 1958) is a Latvian and Russian publicist, political dissident of Jewish[1][2] origin, and a member of Russia's unregistered National Bolshevik Party since 1997. Linderman is a non-citizen of Latvia.[3]

Vladimir Ilyich Linderman
Влади́мир Ильи́ч Ли́ндерман
BornNovember 3, 1958 (1958-11-03) (age 62)
Riga, Latvian SSR
Nationalitynon-citizen of Latvia
Occupationpolitician, publicist
Known forRussian minority rights activism
Political partyFor native language!
MovementNational Bolshevik Party
Partner(s)Tatjana Zubareva
Children4 children

Biography

In 1991 Linderman worked in the Russian editorial office of the Atmoda newspaper. In 1998 he was the leader of the Latvian branch of the National Bolshevik Party (NBP). From 2002, Linderman was a member of the Central Committee of the NBP. On November 2002, he went to Saratov to take part in the trial of the NBP founder Eduard Limonov as a defence witness. On September 24, 2003, Linderman was arrested by the Federal Security Service (FSS) in Moscow and spent 19 days in Lefortovo Prison.[2] Latvia requested Russia to extradite him, but Russia refused, citing fears of political persecution.[4] On June 21, 2006, Linderman was arrested again, but during his convoying to Latvia he escaped and remained in hiding for two more years.[2]

In 2008 Linderman was finally found and on March 20 extradited to Latvia, where he was accused of storing explosives, calling to overthrow the political system and planning to assassinate the President of Latvia Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga.[4] On October 6, 2008, Linderman was given a one-year prison sentence suspended for twelve months for the possession of a TNT block with a detonator, but was cleared on the charges of inciting to overthrow the government due to lack of evidence. On October 26, 2008, he attempted to enter Estonia from Finland, but was detained at the Tallinn Port, where Linderman was informed that he is banned from entering the country and sent back to Finland.[5]

In 2009 Linderman became the establisher and leader of the Latvian political party The 13 January Movement.[6][7] In 2011, he was the co-founder of an NGO called "Mother Tongue" that initiated the unsuccessful constitutional referendum for making Russian a second state language in Latvia.[8][9][10] On July 16, 2012, Linderman renamed The 13 January Movement to For the Native Language! and registered it as a political party.[11] Soon after he called his supporters to boycott SEB banka for refusing to open a bank account for the party.[12]

In 2013 Linderman became the unofficial leader of a newly founded organization “Let’s Protect Our Children” that along with another organization called "Kin" began collecting signatures to initiate a referendum against "gay propaganda".[3] In 2014 he and few other pro-Russian activists appeared in the Victory Day celebration at the Victory Memorial to Soviet Army in Victory Park, Riga, Latvia with flags of Donetsk People's Republic and expressed their support for the pro-Russian separatists.[13]

On May 8, 2018, Linderman was arrested by the Security Police[14][15] for a suspected incitement of national, ethnic and racial hatred, performing activities aimed against Latvia’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, state power and government structure, as well as organizing mass riots[16] in a March 31 speech he gave at the "All-Latvian Parents Gathering" organized by the Latvian Russian Union.[14] On May 10 Linderman was kept in custody,[17] but finally was released on May 22.[16][18]

References
  1. A conversation with comrade Abel (in Russian)
  2. Short biography (in Russian)
  3. Spriņģe, Inga (January 10, 2016). "The Rise of Latvia's Moral Guardians". Re:Baltica. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  4. Saule, Talis (March 16, 2008). "National Bolshevik leader arrested". The Baltic Times. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  5. "Lindermans attempted to enter Estonia". The Baltic Course. October 29, 2008. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  6. "Lindermans succeeded in registering a party" (in Russian). Delfi. February 1, 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  7. Зарегистрирована партия Линдермана «Движение 13 января»
  8. "Latvians Reject Russian as Co-Official Language". The Moscow Times. February 20, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  9. Pētersone, Karina (February 14, 2012). "Latvia has been thrown into a pre-referendum debate in February". The Baltic Course. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  10. Pētersone, Karina (February 19, 2012). "Minority rights and national identity: debates on Russian language in Latvia". 15min.lt. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  11. Petrova, Alla (July 25, 2012). "Lindermans' party For Native Language officially registered in Latvia". The Baltic Course. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  12. Kolyako, Nina (July 25, 2012). "SEB banka refuses to allow For Native Language to open account". The Baltic Course. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  13. "Donetsk Flag Flies in Latvia as Russians Mark Victory Day". Naharnet. May 9, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  14. "Pro-Russian activist arrested in Latvia for a speech at All-Latvian Parents Gathering". Baltic News Network. LETA. May 9, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  15. "Security Police detain pro-Russia activist". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. May 9, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  16. "Pro-Russian activist in Latvia released from arrest". Baltic News Network. LETA. May 22, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  17. "Pro-Russia activist kept in custody". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. May 10, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  18. "Rabble-rouser Lindermans released from custody". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. LETA. May 22, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
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