Brussels, 27/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Union is concerned at the announcement made on 25 June by the Russian Ministry for Justice about the six-month suspension of the activities of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Golos. The suspension is until 25 December 2013 and is on the basis of the law on foreign agents, Maja Kocijancic, the spokesperson to High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, stated on 27 June. Kocijancic said that this decision confirms the general concern both inside and outside Russia about implementation of the law on foreign agents.
Recalling that Moscow's municipal elections are planned for September 2013, Kocijancic stated that the EU “believes that the closure of Golos threatens the existence of independent election monitoring in Russia”.
Indeed, in the EU's opinion, “the activities of Golos - neutral monitoring of elections and submitting technical legal advice - aim at contributing to enhance electoral transparency and to the improvement of the overall framework in the Russian Federation”, Kocijancic stated. She added that “these activities directly support the implementation of international commitments to hold free and fair elections to which Russia has agreed”.
The EU will continue to follow developments affecting human rights in Russia, Kocijancic said.
On 25 June, the Russian Ministry for Justice announced that it had suspended the activities of the opposition NGO Golos for six months as Golos had refused to register as a foreign agent. This is the first sanction of this kind. On 25 April, Golos was given a fine of around €7,400 for not having registered on the list of foreign agents. Ashton had expressed her concern following this conviction (see EUROPE 10838). (CG/transl.fl)