"There is horrible irony in having authorities use trumped up charges to go after a group whose mission is to strengthen Russian democracy and rule of law."
This statement was originally published on freedomhouse.org on 7 July 2015.
Following Russian authorities’ search and confiscation of equipment at the office and homes of individuals associated with Golos, the Russian voters’ rights and free election advocacy group, with authorities claiming links a tax dispute with another organization, Freedom House released the following statement:
“The harassment of Golos staff is an example of how far Russian authorities will go to suppress independent civil society organizations and activists, and of the all-out assault on Golos,” said Susan Corke, director for Eurasia programs. “There is horrible irony in having authorities use trumped up charges to go after a group whose mission is to strengthen Russian democracy and rule of law. Rather than muzzle civil society, Russia’s government should seek ways to work with and harness civic activism to strengthen human rights protections and democracy.”
Russia is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2015, Not Free in Freedom of the Press 2015, Partly Free in Freedom on the Net 2015, and receives a democracy score of 6.46 on a scale of 1 to 7, with 7 as the worst possible score, in Nations in Transit 2015.
