Ulysse Ellian
Ellian during a 2022 discussion at De Balie
Member of the House of Representatives
Assumed office
31 March 2021
Member of the Almere municipal council
In office
29 March 2018[1] – 25 March 2021[2]
Succeeded byWillem Knemeijer
Personal details
Born
Ulysse Ellian

(1988-09-17) 17 September 1988 (age 35)
Kabul, Afghanistan
CitizenshipNetherlands
Political partyPeople's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Children1
Parent
Alma materVrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Occupation
  • Lawyer
  • politician

Ulysse Ellian (born 17 September 1988) is an Afghan-born Dutch lawyer and politician. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since the 2021 general election on behalf of the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). Ellian also served as a municipal councilor in Almere between 2018 and 2021.

Early life and legal career

He was born in 1988 in the Afghan capital Kabul as the son of Afshin Ellian, an Iranian law professor, poet, and critic of political Islam.[3][4][5] His father had fled the Iranian regime and had met Ellian's mother in Afghanistan.[6] His family came to the Netherlands in 1989, and Ellian grew up with his younger sister in Tilburg and Almere.[6][7][8] He studied legal theory at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and became a teacher and researcher specialized in private law at the university after his graduation in 2011.[9] Ellian also started working as a lawyer, and he served as a staff member of the parliamentary inquiry into the failed high-speed rail service Fyra between 2013 and 2015.[5]

Politics

Ellian was elected to the Almere municipal council in the 2018 municipal elections as the VVD's second candidate after he had assisted the party's caucus in Almere since 2014.[10][11] He succeeded Hilde van Garderen as the VVD's caucus leader when Van Garderen became an alderwoman two months after the March 2018 election.[5][12] Ellian received security protection in 2019 after he had condemned the alleged role of the Iranian government in the murder of Mohammad-Reza Kolahi, who had been accused by Iran of having been involved in the Hafte Tir bombing in 1981 and lived in Almere under a false identity.[13]

Criminal Naoufal F. filed a disciplinary complaint against Ellian in February 2020, because Ellian had said in an EenVandaag episode that F. had been responsible for Kolahi's murder on behalf of the Iranian government as Ridouan Taghi's right-hand man. F. had been convicted of organizing the murder but the case was on appeal. Ellian responded that he had not told any falsehoods, and he called the complaint "unacceptable intimidation of a politician".[14] The Almere municipal council unanimously passed a motion supporting Ellian, and the disciplinary council declared the complaint unfounded in May.[15][16]

House of Representatives

Ellian ran for member of parliament in the March 2021 general election, being placed 22nd on the VVD's party list.[17] He vacated his seat in the Almere municipal council eight days after the election.[2] Ellian was elected to the House with 1,931 preference votes and was sworn in on 31 March.[17] His focus is in on justice, law, constitutional matters, and antisemitism, and he is on the Committees for Defence, for European Affairs, for the Interior, and for Justice and Security as well as on the Credentials Committee (chair).[3][18] In April 2022, an amendment by Ellian passed the House to lower the threshold for required disclosure of political donations from €4,500 to €1,000.[19] In October 2022, in reaction to comments by Minister for Legal Protection Franc Weerwind (D66) that prisoners with a life sentence would be released more often, Ellian posted on social media platform Twitter that Weerwind "would not rest before all criminals vote D66". He took back his words shortly after following criticism.[20]

Ellian has worked on the government's approach to organized crime. He filed a motion to increase scrutiny of contact with the outside world from prisoners at Nieuw Vosseveld, where high-level criminals including Ridouan Taghi are housed, in order to prevent them from continuing their criminal activities. It was carried by the House.[21] Another motion of his limited the number of lawyers prisoners at maximum security prisons can have to two for the same reason.[22] Ellian revealed in an interview in late 2022 that he had been receiving protection since a few months without naming the nature of the threat.[23]

Personal life

Ellian is a resident of Almere.[3] His partner, Lesley van Hilten, used to be an assistant of the CDA caucus in the Almere municipal council. She switched to the VVD in 2021 and became a municipal councilor two years later.[24][25] They have a daughter, who was born in 2021, and Ellian also raises his partner's two sons.[8][26][27][28]

Electoral history

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (December 2023)
Electoral history of Ulysse Ellian
Year Body Party Pos. Votes Result Ref.
Party seats Individual
2021 House of Representatives People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 22 1,931 34 Won [29]
2023 House of Representatives People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 18 2,532 24 Won [30]

References

  1. ^ "Besluitenlijst gemeenteraad Almere d.d. 29 maart 2018" [List of decisions Almere municipal council dated 29 March 2018]. Raad van Almere (in Dutch). p. 1. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  2. ^ a b "622e Politieke Markt" [622nd Political Market]. Raad van Almere (in Dutch). p. 6. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Ulysse Ellian". Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  4. ^ Hendrickx, Frank (9 November 2018). "Nog altijd is Nissi's dood in dichte mist gehuld" [Nissi's death is still covered in mystery]. De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Vrijsen, Eric (20 February 2021). "De eeuwige Rutte" [The eternal Rutte]. Elsevier Weekblad (in Dutch). Vol. 77, no. 8. p. 20.
  6. ^ a b "VVD'er Ellian staat op plek 22: "Ik moest het even goed laten bezinken"" [VVD member Ellian is in 22nd place: "I had to let it sink in for a while"]. Omroep Flevoland (in Dutch). 2 December 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Ulysse Elian (VVD) naar de Tweede Kamer" [Ulysse Ellian (VVD) to the House of Representatives]. Omroep Flevoland (in Dutch). 18 March 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  8. ^ a b Ellian, Ulysse (7 August 2021). "Ulysse Ellian (VVD): Vrijheid is beslist niet vanzelfsprekend" [Ulysse Ellian (VVD): Freedom is certainly not obvious]. Reformatorisch Dagblad (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Addy de Jong. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Ulysse Ellian - docent / onderzoeker" [Ulysse Ellian - teacher / researcher]. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Van Garderen lijsttrekker VVD" [Van Garderen VVD lijstrekker]. Omroep Flevoland (in Dutch). 4 December 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Almeerse fractievoorzitter Ellian op VVD-lijst (22), Becker stijgt naar plek 4" [Almere caucus leader Ellian on VVD party list (22), Becker rises to fourth place]. Omroep Flevoland (in Dutch). 1 December 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  12. ^ "Wethouder Hilde van Garderen (VVD)" [Alderwoman Hilde van Garderen (VVD)]. Gemeente Almere (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Almeerse VVD'er Ulysse Ellian beveiligd" [Almere VVD member Ulysse Ellian protected]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 12 March 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  14. ^ Vugts, Paul (25 February 2020). "'Noffel' dient tuchtklacht in tegen fractievoorzitter VVD Almere" ['Noffel' files criminal complaint against VVD Almere caucus leader]. Het Parool (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  15. ^ Vugts, Paul (6 March 2020). "Gemeenteraad Almere steunt VVD'er na tuchtklacht van 'Noffel'" [Almere municipal council supports VVD member after disciplinary complaint by 'Noffel']. Het Parool (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  16. ^ Vugts, Paul (26 May 2020). "Tuchtklacht 'Noffel' tegen VVD-raadslid en advocaat Ellian van tafel geveegd" [Disciplinary complaint 'Noffel' against VVD councilor and lawyer Ellian declared unfounded]. Het Parool (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  17. ^ a b "Uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 17 maart 2021" [Results general election 17 March 2021] (PDF). Kiesraad (in Dutch). 26 March 2021. pp. 19 and 185. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  18. ^ "Ulysse Ellian". VVD (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  19. ^ Joosten, Carla (16 April 2022). "Kabinet zoekt dekking" [Cabinet seeks shelter]. Elsevier Weekblad (in Dutch). Vol. 78, no. 15. p. 33.
  20. ^ "VVD-Kamerlid botst met D66-minister over plannen levenslang" [VVD House member clashes with D66 minister about plans life imprisonment]. NOS (in Dutch). 5 October 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  21. ^ "Kamer wil extra maatregelen EBI in Vught tegen bende van Taghi" [House wants additional precautions EBI in Vught against gang of Taghi]. Het Parool (in Dutch). 7 July 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  22. ^ "Kamer stemt in met maximum aantal raadslieden in EBI en AIT" [House agrees with maximum number of counsels in EBI and AIT]. Advocatenblad (in Dutch). 15 November 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  23. ^ Verkerk, Joris (27 December 2022). "VVD-Kamerlid Ulysse Ellian 'sinds enkele maanden' zwaar beveiligd" [VVD House member Ulysse Ellian has been receiving heavy protection 'since a few months']. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  24. ^ "CDA'er Van Hilten stapt over naar de VVD" [CDA member Van Hilten switches to the VVD]. Omroep Flevoland (in Dutch). 9 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  25. ^ "Lesley van Hilten". Raad van Almere (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  26. ^ Ellian, Afshin (6 August 2021). "Hoe Sifan Hassan mijn gezin en mij inspireert in een zomer van uitersten" [How Sifan Hassan inspired my family and me in a summer of extremes]. EW (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  27. ^ "Lesley van Hilten woont en leeft in Poort" [Lesly van Hilten lives in Poort]. Almere DEZE WEEK (in Dutch). 23 November 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  28. ^ "Zo 26 dec 09:55". WNL Op Zondag. Season 21. Episode 15 (in Dutch). 26 December 2021. WNL. Retrieved 21 January 2022 – via NPO Start.
  29. ^ "Proces-verbaal verkiezingsuitslag Tweede Kamer 2021" [Report of the election results House of Representatives 2021] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 29 March 2021. pp. 14–15. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  30. ^ "Proces-verbaal van de uitslag van de verkiezing van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 2023 d.d. 4 december 2023" [Report of the results of the election of the House of Representatives on 4 December 2023] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 4 December 2023. pp. 15–16. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
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