Statement by the Yabloko Chairman, 18.08.2023

Photo: Grigory Melkonyants / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

Grigory Melkonyants, the head of Golos [a movement of election observers], has been arrested. The authorities do not even try to hide that this is a political case, a way of settling scores with the wrong people. Vasily Piskaryov, Chairman of the State Duma Commission for Investigation of Foreign Interference in Russia’s Internal Affairs, confirmed to Kommersant on Thursday that the claims against Golos were connected with the upcoming elections.

On the threashold of the single voting day on [10 September] 2023 and the presidential elections in 2024, the authorities are persecuting activists from the best organised and professional part of the election observers’ community.

The Yabloko party considers the persecution of Golos to be politically motivated and declares that a blow to election observers is a blow to the entire institution of elections. The struggle for fair elections is a struggle for democracy, peace, freedom and prosperity for our country and the well-being of the people in Russia.

We demand an end to the persecution for political reasons and express our support and solidarity with Grigory Melkonyants and the activists of the Golos movement.

We call on the citizens of our country to give the only adequate response to the lawlessness of the security and law enforcement agencies – become election observers, control the elections, and fight falsifiers. No one else will do this for you and me.

Nikolai Rybakov,

Chairman of the Yabloko party