Latest news with #GrigoryMelkonyants
DW
11-07-2025
- Politics
- DW
Russia's election watchdog and voter rights group disbands – DW – 07/11/2025
Golos spent 25 years campaigning for voters' rights and monitoring elections in Russia. As pressure from authorities mounts, the watchdog is shutting down. The Russian independent election monitoring group Golos (Voice) has announced that it is ceasing operations 25 years after its inception. In a statement published on its website, the organization said it had been forced to take this step amid mounting pressure from Russian authorities and Golos members, who face increasing danger. Golos describes itself as an "all-Russian social movement for the defense of voters' rights." Its statement said the group's disbanding was linked to the sentencing of Golos co-chair Grigory Melkonyants to five years in prison by a Moscow court in May. The court found Melkonyants guilty of cooperating with the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO), a foreign NGO blacklisted as "undesirable" in Russia. The statement says "the court equates Golos with ENEMO, despite the fact that ENEMO has never observed elections or conducted any activity in Russia." The watchdog fears that charges similar to those brought against Melkonyants could also be made against other Golos members, or those who have sought advice or legal assistance from the group. Golos insists that it has no connection to ENEMO and says the prosecution of Melkonyants is politically motivated and intended to silence election observers in Russia. Golos was founded in 2000 and was among the first independent initiatives in post-Soviet Russia to focus on election monitoring. Inspired by the upheavals of the 1990s, Lilia Shibanova took charge of the organization and was soon joined by other human rights activists and lawyers, including Grigory Melkonyants. From the outset, Golos observed growing state support for the ruling party, particularly after United Russia was founded in 2001. It also documented restrictions on independent election monitors starting in 2004. Golos made use of new digital tools to record violations and analyze election fraud while also developing services and platforms to increase election transparency. This included an interactive website mapping violations across Russia, allowing election observers and voters to post messages. Golos gained Russia-wide recognition amid the 2011 anti-fraud protests in the context of the State Duma election, and as a driver of the "Vote Against Crooks and Thieves" campaign initiated by opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Golos came under state scrutiny after Russia passed its "foreign agents" law in 2012. Just one year later, Russia blacklisted the organization as a "foreign agent" because of an award it was to receive from the Norwegian Helsinki Committee — an award that Golos ultimately declined. Russian authorities repeatedly searched the Golos offices, confiscating computers and threatening the organization's workers across the country. Because Golos members were listed as "foreign agents," they were banned from participating in elections. The organization remained on the "foreign agents" list although it received no financial support from abroad. In 2016, Golos was dissolved at the request of the Justice Ministry, but the group continued operating as an unregistered association. In 2021, Golos was again classified as a "foreign agent" and placed on a list of unregistered social associations. Even so, Golos continued coordinating the work of election observers, most recently during the 2024 presidential vote. Security forces, however, persecuted numerous Golos members, including Shibanova, Roman Udot, Melkonyants and Artem Vashenkov. All except Melkonyants eventually went into exile. The end of Golos deals "a very hard blow against independent civil society, fundamental rights in Russia and free elections in Russia," said Stefanie Schiffer, who chairs the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE). Schiffer said the public still wanted independent election monitors to operate within Russia. There is a "deeply rooted and entirely justified" need for people to "manage their own affairs," Schiffer said. And now election monitoring will no longer exist in Russia in its current form. "The closure of Golos is very sad news," the journalist-turned-politician Yekaterina Duntsova, who wanted to run for the presidency in 2024 but was barred from doing so, told DW. "It is one of the few organizations that consistently advocated for civil election monitoring." Golos established a culture of election monitoring in Russia, said Duntsova, who is confident that the group's experience and insights will be passed on to a future election-monitoring movement. "As far as elections are concerned, the situation in Russia is difficult," she said. "As soon as it changes, there will be new initiatives." Udot, the former Golos co-chair, told DW. that election observers had continued to work in Russia, despite increasing repression, bans on rallies and shady election result reporting. "The organization of civil control will suffer," Udot said, "but the driving force will not disappear." Udot said he was confident that the legacy of Golos and its standards would live on and observers would be able to work in Russia again at some point. "Elections are held, and observers remain," he said. "It may sound strange, but we will be back." Ivan Shukshin, a former Golos member in the Krasnodar region of southern Russia who continues to monitor elections from abroad, told DW that the organization's disbanding will undermine connections within civil society and increase its fragmentation. "The regime has achieved its goal," Shukshin said. "Golos has been destroyed." He expects that only pseudo-opposition parties permitted to participate in elections by Russian authorities will monitor polls. "There will no longer be a coordination center, but the work on the ground will continue, municipal candidates will be assisted, and monitoring will continue, albeit without a common platform," Shukshin said. He doubts that a new organization like Golos can emerge in the current conditions. "There will be no nationwide structure, and, as long as there is no regime change, nothing of the sort will emerge, though there will be individual initiatives," Shukshin said, who continues to analyze Russia elections from abroad. "This is my country. Even if things keep getting worse, we have to keep an eye on everything. So that there is no vacuum." .
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Independent Russian election monitoring group announces its closure after jailing of chairman
LONDON (Reuters) -Russia's only independent election watchdog said on Tuesday it was closing down after a court jailed its co-chairman for five years in May after finding him guilty of working with an "undesirable organisation". Golos, which means both "voice" and "vote" in Russian, first angered the authorities by publicising evidence of what it said was fraud in a 2011 parliamentary election that led to opposition protests. It also sharply criticised the conduct of presidential elections in 2012 and 2024. The authorities rejected those accusations of fraud and later designated Golos as a "foreign agent," a negative and burdensome designation with Soviet-era connotations of espionage. Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of the Golos movement, was sentenced to five years in a penal colony in May after being found guilty of working with an "undesirable organisation". He denied wrongdoing. Golos said on Tuesday that the jailing of Melkonyants - which it said was aimed at muzzling it - and the authorities' hostility to its activities had left it with no option but to close down even though it believed it had been providing a valuable non-partisan service to Russia. "This court decision leaves us no choice as it puts not only all participants of Golos at risk of criminal prosecution, but even those people who simply applied for counselling and legal assistance," the group said in a statement. "Justice, alas, does not always win - it must be fought for. And there is always a risk of losing. This time it happened like this."
Straits Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Independent Russian election monitoring group announces its closure after jailing of chairman
LONDON - Russia's only independent election watchdog said on Tuesday it was closing down after a court jailed its co-chairman for five years in May after finding him guilty of working with an "undesirable organisation". Golos, which means both "voice" and "vote" in Russian, first angered the authorities by publicising evidence of what it said was fraud in a 2011 parliamentary election that led to opposition protests. It also sharply criticised the conduct of presidential elections in 2012 and 2024. The authorities rejected those accusations of fraud and later designated Golos as a "foreign agent," a negative and burdensome designation with Soviet-era connotations of espionage. Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of the Golos movement, was sentenced to five years in a penal colony in May after being found guilty of working with an "undesirable organisation". He denied wrongdoing. Golos said on Tuesday that the jailing of Melkonyants - which it said was aimed at muzzling it - and the authorities' hostility to its activities had left it with no option but to close down even though it believed it had been providing a valuable non-partisan service to Russia. "This court decision leaves us no choice as it puts not only all participants of Golos at risk of criminal prosecution, but even those people who simply applied for counselling and legal assistance," the group said in a statement. "Justice, alas, does not always win - it must be fought for. And there is always a risk of losing. This time it happened like this." REUTERS Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10 Singapore Keep citizens at the centre of public service, Chan Chun Sing tells civil servants Singapore SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore diverted to Perth due to technical issue Asia As Trump plays tariffs hard ball, vexed Asean countries have little choice but to play on Singapore New Draft Master Plan could reignite developers' interest to buy land Asia Seoul scorches at 37.8 deg C, highest early-July temperature ever recorded Business Great Eastern could resume trading after delisting vote fails to pass; OCBC's exit offer lapses Multimedia 'I suspect he's cheating': She finds proof when spouses stray
DW
08-07-2025
- Politics
- DW
Russia's top independent election monitor Golos shuts down – DW – 07/08/2025
The leading independent election observer in Russia, Golos, has announced its closure after 25 years of monitoring the country's elections. The decision comes after the group's co-chair was sent to a penal colony. Russia's main independent election observer, Golos, has announced its closure after more than two decades of monitoring an increasingly tightly controlled electoral system. The group made the announcement less than two months after its co-chair, Grigory Melkonyants, was sentenced to five years in a penal colony. Golos — which means "voice" in Russian — had long documented voting fraud across Russia as elections under President Vladimir Putin turned into what critics call a ritual with little genuine competition. In the 2024 presidential election, Putin faced no real opposition, while dissent has become dangerous amid Moscow's offensive in Ukraine. "Justice, alas, does not always win — it must be fought for. And there is always the risk of losing. This is how it turned out this time," Golos said in an online statement, adding simply: "Goodbye." The group said it had "no choice" but to shut down its operations, as continuing would put participants at risk. Golos's regional offices have now closed.
Arab News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Russia main election monitor closes amid crackdown
MOSCOW: Russia's main independent voting observer Golos, which monitored the country's increasingly tightly-controlled elections for 25 years, announced its closure on Tuesday, two months after its co-chair was jailed. Golos — which means 'voice' in Russian — had for years meticulously recorded voting fraud across the huge country as elections under President Vladimir Putin's long rule turned into a ritual with little real choice. Putin faced no real competition at the last presidential election in 2024 and a domestic crackdown accompanying Moscow's Ukraine offensive has made voicing different views dangerous. 'Justice, alas, does not always win — it must be fought for. And there is always the risk of losing. This is how it turned out this time,' Golos said in an online statement, adding: 'Goodbye.' The group's co-chair Grigory Melkonyants, Russia's most respected independent election observer, was sentenced to five years in prison in May as part of the Kremlin's sweeping crackdown. Golos said it had 'no choice' but to end its activity after the sentencing as it put its participants 'at risk.' Melkonyants, 44, was found guilty of working with a European election monitoring association outlawed as an 'undesirable organization' in Russia — which Golos has repeatedly denied. Golos has described itself as an 'all Russian social movement in defense of voters' rights.' It had observers across Russia's regions and had for years published online reports and maps of violations during elections and had a hotline to report voting fraud. It said Tuesday it had shut down its regional offices. International observers have for years reported widespread voter intimidation, ballot stuffing and other election fraud in Russia.
