Jānis Straume (27 August 1962 – 10 July 2024) was a Latvian politician for

For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK (, abbreviated to TB/LNNK) was a free-market, national conservative political party in Latvia. In 2011, it dissolved and merged into the National Alliance (Latvia), National Alliance. The party was founded from sm ...

(TB/LNNK). He was the fourth

Speaker of the Saeima The Speaker of the Saeima (; literal translation, lit. "Chairperson of the Saeima") is the speaker (politics), presiding officer of the Parliament of Latvia, the Saeima. If the President of Latvia resigns from office, dies or is removed from off ...

(1998–2002) since 1991. Straume was a leading member of a number of organisations in the

Latvian independence movement The modern Latvian independence movement was the resistance movement to foreign occupation of the Republic of Latvia during Soviet and Nazi German occupation (1940–1991). First year (1940–1941) of occupation The effects of the Molotov–Ribbe ...

, including

Helsinki-86 The CTAG (, Human Rights Defense Group) Helsinki-86 was founded on 10 July 1986 in the Latvian port town of Liepāja by three workers: Linards Grantiņš, Raimonds Bitenieks, and Mārtiņš Bariss. Its name refers to the Helsinki Accords and the ...

, the Latvian National Independence Movement, the Citizens' Congress, and the 18th November Union. When the 18th November Union merged into For Fatherland and Freedom, he became a party member. He served as the

from 1998 to 2002, during the

7th Saeima Seventh is the ordinal form of the number seven. Seventh may refer to: * Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution * A fraction (mathematics), , equal to one of seven equal parts Film and television *"The Seventh", a second-season ep ...

. He was chairman of the TB/LNNK from 2002 to 2006, during the 8th Saeima, when he was also Deputy Chairman of the Saeima. On the morning of 10 July 2024, an accident was reported on Lielupes Street in

Jūrmala Jūrmala (; "seaside") is a state city in the Vidzeme region of Latvia, about west of Riga. Jūrmala is a resort town stretching and is sandwiched between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe River. It has a stretch of white-sand beach and is the ...

(near Jaundubulti Station), when a train fatally ran over a pedestrian. The man was later identified as Straume, and it was confirmed that he deliberately threw himself under the train. He was 61.Traģiskā negadījumā miris bijušais Saeimas priekšsēdētājs un deputāts Jānis Straume

References

, - 1962 births 2024 deaths 2024 suicides People from Sigulda Latvian National Independence Movement politicians For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK politicians Speakers of the Saeima Deputies of the 5th Saeima Deputies of the 6th Saeima Deputies of the 7th Saeima Deputies of the 8th Saeima Riga Stradiņš University alumni Suicides by train Suicides in Latvia Politicians who died by suicide {{Latvia-politician-stub