Prominent Election Watchdog Leader Charged by Russia

Russian authorities have charged Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of independent election monitoring group Golos, with involvement in an "undesirable" organization, marking the latest crackdown on Kremlin critics and rights activists. Melkonyants faces up to six years in prison. Golos, which has faced increasing pressure over the years, was once a member of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations, declared "undesirable" in Russia in 2021. The group's members' homes were raided, and Golos sees the pressure as an attempt to stifle their activities ahead of upcoming regional and presidential elections. The Russian government has intensified its crackdown on independent journalists, activists, and opposition figures, shutting down news outlets, labeling them as "foreign agents," and imposing fines on social media platforms for allegedly false information.