The top of the one unbiased election guard in Russia was sentenced to 5 years in jail on Wednesday after being convicted of working with an “undesirable” group, in accordance with Russian information companies and his lawyer.
Gregory Melcoats, co -founder of the Russian Golos election monitoring groupHe was closed in 2023 after President Vladimir V. Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine and led a broad repression at dwelling. Loaded with “organizing the actions of an undesirable group”, d -n -melkonyants, 44, has pleaded innocent When his course of opened final September.
On Wednesday, he was sentenced to the Moscow Court docket and sentenced to 5 years in a jail colony, his lawyer Mikhail Biriuskov informed The New York Instances.
Golos, Which Was Based in 2000 and Docuged Widespread Election Fraud, Was Labeled A “Overseas Agent” by the Russian Authorities in 2013. However the Prices In opposition to Mr. Melkonyants Relate to the Group’s Previous Affiliation with the European Community of Election Monitoring Organizations, Which the Russian Authorities Declared “Undesira” in 2021 – MAKING Crime. Golos stated he had terminated his participation within the affiliation after the choice.
The “undesirable” label has been Used to ban unwanted groups including NGOs and media organizations and break down into disagreement. However Mr. Menconias is apolitical, stated Roman Ukot, a longtime colleague who lives in exile.
He famous that whereas numerous civil activists escaped from Russia after the 2022 invasion in Ukraine, Menconiates insisted on remaining positioned and centered on his experience with out taking events.
Golos – which implies “voting” in Russian – paperwork in depth irregularities of the vote throughout the 2011 parliamentary elections. The anger for these violations prompted The biggest protests so far against the management of G -n -Putin and inspired a broader opposition motion led by the deceased Aleksei A. NavalnyS
After set up pressure The Russian authorities Golos was appointed as a overseas agent in 2013, however solely after the warfare in Ukraine started Russia’s safety companies fell other than the group, stated G -n ORI.
After his arrest, Menconiates was known as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty Worldwide, which said The election skilled was “persecuted solely for his civic activism.”
