Jakovs Pliners or Yakov Pliner, Russian — Я́ков Гда́льевич Пли́нер (born December 27, 1946 in Rezekne) is a Latvian politician of Jewish origin and MP of the 7th, 8th and 9th convocations for the union For Human Rights in United Latvia (ForHRUL). He was member of Social Democratic party group in the Baltic Assembly.
1965–1970 — studied at the Teachers' Institute of Daugavpils, profession – secondary school teacher of biology and chemistry.
1970–1975 — teacher, assistant director, director of the Virbi secondary school (Talsi district).
1975–1983 — worked in the Department of Education of Talsi Executive Committee.
1983–1993 — worked in the Ministry of Education of Latvia.
1993–1998 — founder and director of the "Eureka" (Эврика) private college of general education.
1997 — Pliners received his Dr. paed. degree from the University of Latvia, and was elected to the Riga City Council from National Harmony Party (NHP).
1998 — elected to the 7th Saeima (Parliament).
2002 — elected to the 8th Saeima.
2003 — Pliners left NHP (which had withdrawn from ForHRUL that year) and returned to the union. He became the leader of the newly founded party "Free Choice in People's Europe" (BITE), co-chairman of ForHRUL (until 2015) and chairman of its parliamentary group. One of the leaders of Russian School Defense Staff, writing several publications on the language of instruction issues.
2006 — before the parliamentary elections ForHRUL named Pliners its candidate for Prime Minister. Elected to the 9th Saeima, remained chairman of ForHRUL parliamentary group (until 2010).