💨 Abstract

Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of Russia's only independent election watchdog, Golos, was sentenced to five years in prison. He was convicted of working for an "undesirable organization," a term used by Russian authorities to designate foreign and international groups deemed threatening. Melkonyants, who was arrested in August 2023, maintained his innocence throughout the trial. His sentencing underscores the ongoing crackdown on independent civil society organizations in Russia.

Courtesy: theprint.in