The EU has highlighted "the ever-deepening erosion of democracy in Russia" as the country holds parliamentary elections, describing what it called "systematic and institutionalised repression" of the opposition. The EU also condemned the "illegal" holding of elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
"The manner in which the elections for the State Duma are being conducted underlines the continuing and ever-deepening erosion of democracy in Russia. Russian authorities continue to intensify systematic and institutionalised repression in order to exclude any democratic opposition forces from challenging the existing regime," said Christian Wigand, spokesman for the European Commission on foreign affairs.
Wigand specifically referred to the exclusion of candidates from the Yabloko party, as well as the "disproportionately harsh" prison sentences imposed on the opposition, stressing that "the Kremlin is denying voters in Russia a genuine choice about their country's future" while at the same time "severely restricting their access to independent information." Wigand said the EU would continue to support the work of Russian civil society organisations, human rights defenders and independent media, and also expressed the EU's regret over Russia's decision not to invite OSCE observers to the elections, "in breach of its binding commitments."
"We strongly condemn the illegal organisation of the so-called 'elections' by the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. These so-called 'elections' constitute yet another flagrant violation of international law," the Commission spokesman said. He added that "the EU does not recognise, and will never recognise, either the holding of these so-called 'elections,' these sham elections, in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, or their results." He warned, finally, that those involved in organising these sham elections, or standing as candidates in them, will be held accountable for their actions.
Source: AMNA
