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Vladimir BuzayevLatvian politician and publicist
Date of Birth: 08.10.1951
Country:  Latvia |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Political Career
- Sejm Member
- Academic and Activist Work
- Recent Publications and Honors
Early Life and Education
Tais Valdis Karelis, a Latvian politician and publicist, was born in Latvia. He graduated from the Latvian State University in 1973 with a degree in "Electrodynamics and Continuum Mechanics." In 1982, he obtained a Ph.D. in "Hydrogeology."
Political Career
Karelis began his political career by voicing the idea of two state languages in Latvia in 1988. In 1989, he was elected as a deputy of the Riga City Council, serving until 1994. In 1993, he co-founded the "Equality" party.
From 1994 to 2001, Karelis was Co-Chair of the Latvian Committee on Human Rights. He became an assistant to a Sejm MP in 1998.
In 2001, he was elected Chairman of the "Equality" party, a position he held until 2007, when the party merged with "Harmony." Karelis also became a deputy of the Riga City Council, where he headed the "Harmony" faction.
Sejm Member
Karelis was elected to the Eighth Sejm in 2002, where he became a vocal orator. He was re-elected to the Ninth Sejm in 2006.
Academic and Activist Work
Throughout his career, Karelis has been active in academia and activism. He published a brochure on "Non-citizens of Latvia" in 2007. In 2008, he represented Natalia Andreeva before the Grand Chamber of the ECHR.
Karelis co-authored the book "Contemporary European Ethnocracy: Human Rights Violations of National Minorities in Estonia and Latvia" in 2009. He also published a brochure on "How Russians Survive" in 2010.
Recent Publications and Honors
In 2012, Karelis was again elected Co-Chair of the Latvian Committee on Human Rights. He published a book on the "Legal Status of the Russian-Speaking Minority in Latvia," which was also translated into English.
In 2015, a collection of articles edited by V. Buzaev, entitled "Legal and Actual Status of National Minorities in Latvia," was published. In 2017, Karelis released a brochure on "Citizens and 'Non-Citizens': The Political-Legal Division of Residents in Post-Soviet Latvia."
