RIGA, July 25 (RAPSI) - The criminal prosecution has been started in Latvia against Alfreds Rubiks, Latvian Socialist politician and the Member of the European Parliament, who ventured his opinion on Stalin's deportations in 1949, RIA Novosti reported on Thursday.

On May 1, Rubiks declared during the rally in Riga that many of Latvian residents were justly deported in 1949.

The criminal process has been initiated by Martins Kaprans from the University of Latvia. If Rubiks is found guilty of the crime against humanity, he faces up to 5 years in jail, compulsory labour or a fine.

In March 1949, more than 40 thousand people were deported from Latvia to Russia, many of them died. Most of deported Latvian residents were rehabilitated after Stalin's death in 1953.