The co-chair of the independent Russian election monitoring watchdog, Grigory Melkonyants, is on trial for allegedly cooperating with an “undesirable” organization. Despite denying the charges, he faces up to six years in prison if found guilty.
Golos, a prominent rights movement in Russia, which monitors electoral campaigns and exposes vote rigging, is at the center of the prosecution’s case. The accusations are based on alleged ties between Golos and a European monitor organization banned as “undesirable” in Russia.
Melkonyants’s plea of not guilty in Moscow’s Basmanny District Court was accompanied by support from diplomats and media outlets monitoring the court proceedings. The prosecution claims he acted in the interests of hostile foreign states through Golos’s alleged connection to the banned organization.
Despite ENEMO’s denial of any collaboration with Golos, the trial continues to shed light on the suppression of critical voices in Russia. Golos, although not banned, was labeled a “foreign agent” by Russia’s Justice Ministry in 2021.