Russian election monitors complain of state harassment

[WestVirginiaRebel]

UK Guardian:

Members of Russia's only independent election monitoring group have told the Guardian they are being harassed and intimidated by state security officials in the runup to Sunday's parliamentary elections.

The group, Golos, was found guilty on Friday of breaking Russian electoral law, part of an apparent campaign to discredit it. The case came as the state-run television channel NTV aired a report that claimed to show the group is part of a US-funded plot to disrupt the vote on Sunday, where the ruling United Russia party is expected to make its poorest showing ever amid increasing voter discontent.

Golos's troubles began after Vladimir Putin, the prime minister, made what some employees believe to be a veiled threat during a speech in which he officially accepted the party's nomination for president. Putin is widely expected to win the 4 March vote, despite increasing disillusionment with his regime. While opposition groups and NGOs often complain of pressure from the state, they say this year the tactics appear to have been stepped up, in a sign of nervousness about the elections.

Speaking at a United Russia congress last weekend, Putin said: "We know that representatives of some countries meet with those whom they pay money – so-called grant recipients – and give them instructions and guidance for the 'work' they need to do to influence the election campaign in our country."

Golos admits it receives grant money from the west, including the United States, but says it has never hidden the fact. The group gathers complaints of election violations and publishes a "map of violations" on its website. It has so far recorded nearly 5,000 in this election cycle, most involving United Russia.
________

Putin would say that you can't rebuild the Russian Empire without breaking a few heads...