Haris Kastanidis

Haris Kastanidis

MP
Haris Kastanidis ; MP
Minister for Justice, Transparency and Human Rights
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 7 October 2009
President	Karolos Papoulias
Prime Minister	George Papandreou
Personal details
Born	1956; Thessaloniki, Greece
Political party	Panhellenic Socialist Movement
Alma mater	Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Profession	Lawyer

Haris Kastanidis (Greek: Χάρης Καστανίδης, born on 11 March 1956 in Thessaloniki, Greece) is a Greek politician of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement and the current Minister for Justice, Transparency and Human Rights.

Life

Haris Kastanidis was born in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1956. He graduated from the Law School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He completed his studies with a Post-Graduate studies in Criminal Law.

Haris Kastanidis became a member of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) upon its foundation in 1974. In 1981, he was elected for the first time as a member of the Hellenic Parliament. In 1984 he was elected as a member of the PASOK Central Committee.

He held his first government post in the Ministry for the Interior and Public Order as a Deputy Minister, from 25 July 1985 until 25 April 1986. From 9 September 1988 until 18 November 1988, he held the post of Deputy Minister of National Education and Religious Affairs. From 18 November 1988 until 29 November 1988, he served as Deputy Minister for the Interior. On 15 September 1995 he was appointed as Minister for the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralisation, a post he held until 22 January 1996.

On 22 January 1996 he was appointed Minister for Transport and Communications, a position that he held until he resigned on 2 September 1997. From 7 July 2003 until 10 March 2004, he was the Minister for Macedonia and Thrace. Subsequently he was the Parliamentary Spokesman for PASOK from March 2004 until August 2007.

Since 7 October 2009, Haris Kastanidis is the Minister for Justice, Transparency and Human Rights.

Haris Kastanidis is married to Elisavet Symeonidou and they have two daughters.