Alfrēds Rubiks

Alfrēds Rubiks (Russian: Альфред Петрович Рубикс; born September 24, 1935 in Daugavpils) is a Latvian Socialist politician and a former leader of the Communist Party of Latvia. Currently he is the Member of the European Parliament from Latvia. In the European Parliament he is a member of European United Left–Nordic Green Left.

He served as the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Riga City Soviet from 1984 to 1990, effectively the last Communist mayor of the city. He was member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from July 1990 until its abolishment in 24 August 1991. As head of the Communist Party of Latvia in 1991 he opposed Latvia's independence from the Soviet Union, and was imprisoned for attempting to overthrow the new democratic government. Despite his incarceration, Rubiks was a candidate in the 1996 election for the President of Latvia, but lost to incumbent Guntis Ulmanis. Rubiks was released in 1997 for good behavior, became chairman of the Socialist Party of Latvia in 1999, and has been elected Member of the European Parliament in the elections of 2009.

Due to his former allegiance with the Communist Party of Latvia after January 1991, Rubiks is prohibited from running for an electable office in Latvia under Latvian law.