The European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) strongly condemns the prosecution of Grigory Melkonyants, co-chairman of the movement for the protection of voters’ rights “Golos”,  and the harassment of “Golos” coordinators by Russian state authorities.

Searches carried out by Russian law enforcement against Grigory Melkonyants and the “Golos” movements’ coordinators have led to false claims of their involvement in organizing the work of ENEMO. 

ENEMO categorically denies such claims, and states that the organization has never operated in Russia. 

Although ENEMO morally supports “Golos” efforts in promoting free and fair elections in their country, ENEMO affirms that “Golos” is no longer a member of our Network and has not been for a significant amount of time. 

ENEMO hereby states that it does not work with the “Golos” movement. This should put into question the reasons for the decision by Russian state authorities to unjustifiably prosecute and harass “Golos” activists. 

It is clear that such investigations launched by Russian authorities are a pretext for fabricating bogus claims and further oppressing civil society activists in Russia, in this case representatives of “Golos”.

ENEMO stands by civil society activists,human rights defenders, and their efforts to promote free societies around the world.