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Russian Election Watchdog Leader Sentenced to Five Years in Penal Colony

Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of Golos, was convicted for alleged ties to a banned organization as part of Russia's intensified crackdown on civil society.

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Melkonyants's lawyer Mikhail Biryukov has denounced the charges as 'baseless'
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Overview

  • A Moscow court sentenced Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of Golos, to five years in a penal colony for alleged involvement with the banned European Network of Election Monitoring Organisations (ENEMO).
  • Melkonyants, arrested in August 2023, pleaded not guilty and plans to appeal the verdict.
  • Golos, Russia's only independent election watchdog, continues its work despite being designated a 'foreign agent' and facing mounting legal pressure.
  • The case is seen by human rights groups as part of a broader suppression of civil society, which has escalated since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
  • Rights group OVD-Info reports over 1,600 individuals are currently imprisoned in Russia on political grounds, highlighting the scale of political repression.