The Ministry of Justice included two European election observation organizations on the “undesirable” list

On March 12, the Ministry of Justice included two European organizations involved in election observation on the list of "undesirable" in Russia.

The first is the German-based European Platform for Democratic Elections. It was created in 2012 in Warsaw by representatives of 13 public organizations from different European countries. Its coordinating council includes, in particular, the founder of the Golos association, Lilia Shibanova.

Also on the “undesirable” list was the International Center for Electoral Studies, established in 2013 in Lithuania by the non-profit organization Swedish International Liberal Center and the Polish research institution Center for the Study of Eastern Europe.

• On March 12, the Ren TV channel released an article stating that the European Platform for Democratic Elections and the International Center for Electoral Research work in Russia through the Voice movement. In particular, the article mentioned the founder and former head of the Golos association Lilia Shibanova.
• Since 2015, the Prosecutor General's Office can recognize a foreign or international non-governmental organization as "undesirable" if its activities threaten the foundations of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation, the country's defense capability or the state's security. Collaboration with "undesirable organizations" involves criminal punishment up to and including imprisonment.
• At the moment, 13 organizations have been recognized as “undesirable” in Russia, including the British structures Open Russia Civic Movement and OR (Otkrytaya Rossia) associated with Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Based on the ban on these organizations in Russia, were blocked the websites of the Open Russia and MBKh-Media movements , and activists were fined .
• In 2013, the Association of Non-Commercial Organizations “In Defense of the Rights of Voters “Golos” was included by the Ministry of Justice in the list of foreign agents, and its activities in Russia were suspended. The leadership of the organization liquidated it, transforming it into a social movement with the same name. After the liquidation of the Golos association, Lilia Shibanova, according to media reports , moved to Lithuania for a while.