Judins denies abuse allegations after Saeima employee’s complaint

Latvian MP Andrejs Judins has denied allegations that he emotionally abused an employee of the Saeima, Latvia’s parliament. The employee and her husband filed complaints describing an incident after a parliamentary committee meeting, LSM reported.

The employee’s complaint says Judins entered her office on October 13 while she was alone and spoke to her in an unfriendly tone. She says she tried to leave because she was afraid to remain alone with him, but he held the door shut and prevented her from opening it. She feared he might use physical force, the complaint says. Judins later let go of the door, and the employee went to a neighbouring office; she alleges that he followed her.

The employee says she felt unwell after the events and colleagues called emergency medical services. She has asked the Saeima administration to assess Judins’ conduct and ensure safe working conditions. She also alleges that she had experienced similar treatment over the previous four years but had remained silent.

Opposition MP Linda Liepiņa of Latvia First, who said she received the employee’s husband’s complaint, made the allegations public. Liepiņa says complaints have also been submitted to the State Police and the State Labour Inspectorate, and has called for Judins to be excluded from six Saeima sittings.

Judins denies abusing the employee but confirms that they spoke. He says the conversation concerned his view that she was not competent to perform her duties. The Saeima administration is to assess both the employee’s complaint and Judins’ criticisms of her.