Russia asks other countries to ban rallies outside its embassies on Duma election day
Russia's Foreign Ministry has sent diplomatic notes to other countries requesting a ban on demonstrations near Russian embassies during State Duma elections, set for 18-20 September.
Maxim Raider, deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's election commission, said Moscow has sent diplomatic notes to all countries asking them to ban demonstrations outside Russian embassies on the day of State Duma elections. The information was reported by the Russian outlet Meduza.
According to Raider, the notes ask foreign authorities to "take adequate measures to protect polling stations," including banning public demonstrations on election day. The Russian Foreign Ministry representative did not explain how exactly public protests could threaten voting security. He added that Russia expects its international partners to conscientiously fulfill their obligations, but that Russia itself "will not sit idly by."
Voting for deputies of the IX convocation of the State Duma is scheduled to take place over three days, from 18 to 20 September.
Background
Earlier, the head of Russia's Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova, called for stripping voting rights from Russians who left the country and, in her view, "betrayed" it. She also said she expected pickets and "various kinds of provocations" during voting in "unfriendly" countries.
Meanwhile, the party "Peaceful Russia," led by opposition politician Ilya Yashin, called for an anti-war action on the main voting day, 20 September, inviting everyone who disagrees with Vladimir Putin's policies to gather at polling stations at exactly 12:00.
On 10 August, Russia's Supreme Court removed the anti-war party "Yabloko" from the State Duma elections, ruling on a lawsuit by the "Rodina" party, which accused Yabloko of extremism and copyright violations. Media reported this as the first case in modern Russian history of a party registered for elections being removed from the ballot.
On 17 August, Lev Shlosberg, deputy head of the anti-war Yabloko party, was sentenced in Russia to 11 years and 1 month in prison on charges of "discrediting the army" and spreading "military fakes."
