human rights
Ahead of Russian elections: Prominent observer jailed
Grigory Melkonyants is the co-chair of the prestigious Russian election observation organization Golos. photo
© Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP/dpa
The human rights organization Golos has been exposed to political persecution for years. They repeatedly exposed massive violations of the right to vote. Your co-chairman is now in custody.
A few weeks before elections in Russia has arrested the prominent observer Grigory Melkonyants in Moscow. A court in the capital ordered the co-chairman of the human rights organization Golos (English: voice), which campaigns for free elections, to be held in custody until October 17.
In the past, the Golos observers repeatedly disclosed massive violations of voting rights and manipulations, to the annoyance of the power apparatus. Elections are planned in many places in Russia for September 10, including in Moscow, where Mayor Sergei Sobyanin is hoping to remain in office.
The non-governmental organization has been branded a “foreign agent” by the Russian authorities since 2013 and is therefore subject to political persecution. The day before there had also been raids on the apartments of the independent observers. The action is considered part of an increasing wave of authoritarian repression in Russia against those who think differently, which human rights activists have complained about.
Allegation of activity for “undesirable organization”
Melkonjanz always emphasized that Golos wanted to continue to work to protect voters’ votes. He is officially accused of working for an “undesirable organization” in Europe. According to Russian media, Melkonyants said in court, locked in a glass box, that he was actually accused of collaborating with Russia’s Central Election Commission. That was considered a critical dig, because by law the election officials themselves are responsible for organizing the vote in accordance with the law.
Political scientist Abbas Galliamov said the election observers would be “destroyed” because the Kremlin wanted to prevent the violations from being documented in this way. This is already in preparation for the presidential elections in March 2024. “In reality, there can be no talk of 90 percent approval for (Kremlin chief Vladimir) Putin. His real values are now 30, at most 40 percent,” he said. “In that sense, Golos is simply a knife to the throat for the Kremlin.”
The activist’s defense attorney Mikhail Biryukov denied the allegations against his client. Melkonjanz or Golos did not work with any “undesirable organization”. Golos, the all-Russian movement to protect voter rights in Russia, has organized independent election observation since its inception in 2000.