Alexander Dimitri Lascaris (born December 9, 1963) [1] is a Canadian lawyer, journalist and political activist. Lascaris ran in the 2020 Green Party of Canada leadership election on an eco-socialist platform, placing second on the final ballot with 42% of the vote. [2] [3]
Lascaris was born in London, Ontario, and resides in Montreal, Quebec. [4] He holds a law degree from the University of Toronto. He was the federal candidate for London West in 2015 and the Justice Critic in the Green Party's shadow cabinet in 2016, [5] and is a former member of the Quebec Greens' National Executive.
Lascaris has been a pro-Palestinian activist and a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel. In 2019, he sued B'nai Brith Canada for defamation after it accused him of using social media “to advocate on behalf of terrorists who have murdered Israeli civilians”. [6] The lawsuit was settled in 2021, with B'nai Brith agreeing to delete the writings in question from its website and compensate Lascaris for his legal fees. [6]
He has been accused by the National Post of having "pro-Putin sympathies" after he visited Russia and defended its position following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. [7] Lascaris went on a speaking tour across Canada in the summer of 2023 to "report back" on what he called his "mission of peace to Russia." [8]
Lascaris was raised Greek Orthodox but has been an atheist since the age of 18. [1]