There is no more voice

Today the “Voice” movement announced its liquidation. It's hard to write about this.

“Golos” are observers who sat for hours at polling stations, recorded violations, and wrote complaints, despite fatigue, pressure and threats. These are experts who exposed “carousels” and other fraud schemes. These are warm hearts that energized others, who believed that every vote is important and that elections are not a ritual, but a right.

And of course, this is Grigory Melkonyants, who is now in a pre-trial detention center. “The Voice” has always been about courage, about integrity, about remaining human and protecting others.

Over the years, Golos has become more than just an organization - it has become a symbol of the fact that in Russia there are citizens who do not intend to put up with lies and permissiveness of the authorities.

We at Transparency want to thank you very much. Thank you for your courage, honesty, expertise. For holding this bar of professionalism and dignity that we all looked up to.

Today, Russian civil society has become poorer. But in any case, we are together. We believe that the day will come when there will be no more political prisoners in Russia, when Grigory will be free and when it will be possible to work for the people without fearing for one’s life and freedom.

Thank you. We will all definitely return to a free and peaceful Russia. Without authoritarianism and corruption.