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Russia: New law allows "extremist" groups to be excluded from elections

2021-06-04T17:37:18.817Z


Shortly before the parliamentary elections, Russian authorities will receive an instrument to exclude members of the opposition from the election. Only Putin's signature was missing from the law - it followed on a symbolic date.


Enlarge image

City workers in Saint Petersburg paint over a Navalny graffiti with the inscription "Hero of our time"

Photo: Ivan Petrov / dpa

A new law is likely to reduce the opposition's chances in the Russian parliamentary elections in September.

President Vladimir Putin signed the law on Friday after Parliament had given its approval.

Russian authorities are now able to exclude candidates from all elections for collaborating with "extremist and terrorist" organizations.

Critics fear an abuse of power: According to the opposition, the law should, among other things, prevent the candidacies of supporters of the imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexej Navalny.

The public prosecutor had applied for a court to classify support organizations of the oppositionist Navalny as "extremist".

These were aimed at destabilizing the "social situation" in Russia "under the guise of liberal slogans".

It is almost certain that the prosecution's request may be granted as early as next week.

Donors could also be declared "extremists"

The network of regional offices of the Kremlin critic Navalny had already been classified as "extremist" by the financial authorities.

Nawalny's team see this as an effort to eliminate the opposition in the face of growing dissatisfaction among the population due to economic stagnation and several corruption scandals.

The law affects not only Navalny's team, but possibly tens of thousands of Russians who have supported his work with donations.

According to the law, leaders of “extremist” groups are banned from running for parliamentary elections for five years, while supporters and those who helped fund their work are banned from running for three years.

Putin's signature on Navalny's 45th birthday

Putin signed the law on Navalny's 45th birthday.

The Kremlin critic is currently in prison.

"I hope I can say today that my success last year was to avoid feeling like a 'caged animal'" after the "many strange things that have happened to me," wrote Navalny on Instagram.

Leonid Volkov, one of Navalny's greatest supporters, wrote on the Telegram messenger service that he believes Putin deliberately signed the law on Navalny's birthday.

more on the subject

These are the men Navalny should kill

In August 2020 Navalny was the victim of a poison attack.

Laboratories in Germany, France and Sweden later found traces of the military agent Novichok in his body.

According to research by SPIEGEL, Bellingcat and other partners, at least eight agents from the Russian secret service FSB were apparently involved in the poison attack on Navalny;

the Kremlin denies any responsibility.

Navalny had been treated in Germany.

On his return in January, Navalny was arrested in Russia and later sentenced to more than two and a half years in a camp for alleged parole violations.

mrc / AFP / Reuters

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2021-06-04

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