rferl.org

FREE ELECTIONS IN RUSSIA – YEAH RIGHT.

The leader of Russia’s only independent election monitor was detained for several hours, in a move she described as government pressure on the group ahead of Sunday’s parliamentary vote.

Golos leader Lilya Shibanova was held at Moscow’s main airport after refusing to hand over her laptop “for checking”.

On Friday, the group was fined for allegedly violating election law.

Russian MPs have questioned why Golos, a foreign-funded organisation, is allowed to monitor Russian elections.

Golos (meaning “voice” or “vote” in English) is a widely respected election watchdog funded by the EU and US. It provides training for observers and runs a website compiling complaints of voting violations.

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AND THIS GIVES CLARITY AS TO WHY IT HAPPENED…

Widespread dismay with United Russia threatens to undermine the party’s control of Russia and authorities are clearly nervous, including applying strong pressure on the country’s only independent election-monitoring group.

The group, Golos, has compiled some 5,300 complaints of election-law violations ahead of the vote. Most are linked to United Russia, the party headed by Putin, who has dominated Russian politics for a dozen years as president and prime minister.

Roughly a third of the complainants — mostly government employees and students — say employers and professors are pressuring them to vote for the party.

Golos’ leader, Lilya Shibanova, was held at a Moscow airport for 12 hours upon her Friday return from Poland after refusing to give her laptop computer to security officers, said Golos’ deputy director Grigory Melkonyants. On Friday, the group was fined the equivalent of $1,000 by a Moscow court for violating a law that prohibits publication of election opinion research for five days before a vote.

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