Moscow: A Moscow court on Wednesday sentenced Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of Russia’s top independent election monitoring body, Golos, to five years in prison after convicting him of operating an “undesirable” organization. Melkonyants, 44, has denied the allegations, calling them politically driven.
The verdict comes amid an extended clampdown on dissenting voices and rights groups, which has intensified since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Speaking from a glass cage inside the courtroom, Melkonyants told his supporters, “Don’t worry. I remain strong—you should too!”
Founded in 2000, Golos has consistently reported election irregularities across Russia. Over the years, it has endured mounting official pressure. It was labeled a “foreign agent” in 2013 and formally dissolved by the Justice Ministry in 2016. Despite this, Golos continued monitoring elections, and in 2021 it was again included in a registry for unregistered foreign agents.
Although Golos itself hasn’t been declared “undesirable,” the case hinges on its past association with ENEMO, a European network blacklisted by Russia in 2021. Authorities claim this link makes Melkonyants liable under a 2015 law criminalizing ties to such groups.
During his final statement, Melkonyants stressed that freedoms must be actively defended, especially when seen from “behind bars.” His defense team contended he had no involvement with ENEMO when it was banned and vowed to appeal the verdict, citing a lack of evidence.
With time already served, Melkonyants is expected to complete less than half of the sentence.
Read Also: