Haris Kastanidis

Charalambos ( Charis ) Kastanidis (Greek Χαράλαμπος ( Χάρης ) Καστανίδης, born 1956 in Thessaloniki ) is a Greek politician. In the government of George Papandreou, since October 2009, he was Minister of Justice and Minister of the Interior from June 2001.

Kastanidis is the son of former deputies of the Center Union Georgios Kastanidis who was persecuted during the Greek military dictatorship, at times was in exile and died early.

Charis Kastanidis studied law at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. After the collapse of the dictatorship he was an activist in the student movement.

Kastanidis 1974 is a member of the social democratic PASOK since October. Since 1981 he represents Thessaloniki as a deputy in the Greek Parliament. 1985-1986 he was at the age of 29 years, Secretary of State at the Home Office and in 1988 deputy for a short time in the Ministry of Education, education minister in the government of Andreas Papandreou, 1995 Minister of the Interior in the last government of Andreas Papandreou. 1996-1997 Minister of Transport in the government Konstantinos Simitis, until he resigned in September 1997 after criticism of the government. During the second Simitis government Kastanidis was from October 2001 to July 2003 parliamentary spokesman of PASOK and 2003/2004 Minister of Macedonia and Thrace.

The elected in October 2009, new Prime Minister George Papandreou called Kastanidis as Minister of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights in his cabinet ..

Kastanidis is married to the criminal law professor Elisavet Symeonidou and has two daughters.