After 25 years of overseeing elections in Russia, the country’s leading independent election-monitoring group, Golos (“Voice”), is shutting down its operations.

An announcement posted on its website said that it had been forced to dissolve after its co-chair, Grigory Melkonyants, was sentenced in May to five years in prison for allegedly operating activities for an “undesirable” organization — the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO).

Golos — warning that continuing its work would expose members, as well as ordinary citizens seeking legal advice from them, to possible criminal prosecution — said:

“The verdict leaves us no choice. This is the end of a story which, according to investigators and the court, lasted 25 years.” [RFE/RL, July 8, 2025.]

During those years, Golos fought to uphold Russia’s constitutional guarantees of free and fair elections by training volunteer observers and documenting election violations. In doing so, they were able to provide a previously unknown level of transparency during political campaigns — an accomplishment that would be anathema to Putin’s totalitarian regime.

Melkonyants and Golos have denied any affiliation with ENEMO, but to no avail. Golos’ statement added, “The arrest and imprisonment of our friend and colleague had one goal: to make Golos fall silent.” [Id.]

And it succeeded.

*. *. *

But why stop there? On the same day that Golos announced its closure, the Russian government revoked the citizenship of Dmitry Kisiyev, who had been the campaign manager for liberal politician (and Putin opponent) Boris Nadezhdin in the 2024 election.

Kisiyev is from the Crimea region of Ukraine annexed by Russia in 2014, at which time he became a Russian citizen. Now the Federal Security Service (FSB) — successor to the KGB — justifies the withdrawal of his citizenship by accusing him of “actions posing a threat to national security,” in accordance with a law enacted in 2023. [Id.]

Kisiyev writes that “This decision comes precisely when I’m actively planning a State Duma campaign — meeting people, discussing plans, scouting for candidates. It’s clearly a political decision.” [Id.]

Clearly.

So, more than one voice has been silenced in Russia this week. Add these to the two high-profile deaths and a couple of “corruption” convictions of military officers as reported in my post yesterday, and it’s been a successful week of purges on Putin’s domestic front.

And it’s only Wednesday.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/9/25