Open letter of «GOLOS» Association

Dear Sirs/Madam!

“GOLOS” representatives and activists are openly pressured in the regions of Russia. They undergo arrests, systematic “preventive talks” with law-enforcing authorities, aimed at stopping our observers from conducting election-monitoring activities. At this moments, with the use of various excuses, “GOLOS” representatives have been detained in Samara and Oriol. The pressure is also reported from Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Voronezh and other regions.

Such actions openly contradict the law and prevent us from conducting our chartered activity – organizing independent public election monitoring.

“GOLOS” is appealing to you for assistance in preventing pressure and intimidation of our activists by the law-enforcing authorities and special services, and asking you to support “GOLOS” by passing this information to the authorized officials.

“GOLOS” Association Executive Director

Lilia Shibanova

GOLOS” (www.golos.org) is an independent Russian civic organization founded in 2000 to defend voters’ rights and contribute to the development of the civic society in Russia. “GOLOS” has a largest and most geographically widespread election monitoring network in the country (it unites 281 NGO and has offices in 40 regions). “GOLOS” has monitored more than 50 elections (from municipal to regional), including 2 federal campaigns, and trained over 15 000 independent observers all over the country. “GOLOS” issues statements covering the results of its election observation, including messages from its hot-line “Transparent Elections” (http://88003333350.ru), and gives its assessment to the various stages of the electoral process in Russia using international standards of Free and Fair elections and Russian Election Law. In 2006 “GOLOS” has been invited to join Coordination Council in defense of voters’ rights under the Public Chamber of Russian Federation.