Russian Election Observer Falls Unconscious During Arrest

A Russian election observer lost consciousness while being arrested by police at a St. Petersburg polling station on Saturday, the second day of a tightly controlled parliamentary election, according to the liberal opposition Yabloko party. The three-day election, which began Friday and ends Sunday, features virtually no opposition and is expected to secure the Kremlin’s political dominance. Yabloko stated that officials at the polling station accused an observer of attempting to “disrupt the elections” and subsequently called the police, who allegedly “used force” against him. The party reported on Telegram that it was unclear if the observer received prompt medical attention after losing consciousness. He was taken to a police station and charged with disobeying police orders. Russian officials did not immediately comment on the incident. Yabloko, the only registered political entity that has openly criticized Russia's war in Ukraine, was removed from the ballot last month by Russia’s Supreme Court. The party has only a few dozen candidates in single-constituency races. Additionally, some anti-war politicians have been imprisoned or forced to flee the country before the campaign. Both Yabloko and the Communist Party, which has criticized some government policies but avoided direct criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, reported that many of their election observers were denied entry to polling stations. On Friday, Yabloko’s leader appealed to Ella Pamfilova, head of the Central Election Commission, regarding numerous observer denials and instances of pressure. Yabloko chairman Nikolai Rybakov said the scale of these events suggested it was more than a misunderstanding. Russia did not invite observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to monitor the election, with the Russian Foreign Ministry accusing the organization of “double standards.” Russia stated it had invited other international organizations and observers from OSCE member states instead. OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pere Joan Pons described the decision as a breach of Russia’s commitments as an OSCE member state, calling it a “deeply worrying pattern of disregard for the principles of transparency, democratic accountability and the rule of law.” Russia’s Central Electoral Committee reported that more than 380,000 electoral observers had been registered before the vote, including representatives from 11 political parties. Of these, 97,040 observers were linked to the United Russia party, and 42,743 represented the Communist Party. The committee also stated that 1,126 international election observers and “electoral experts” from 133 countries and 13 international organizations were registered. Ahead of the parliamentary vote, Russia enacted stricter regulations for election observers, including a ban on statements that could be interpreted as undermining confidence in the electoral system. Russian authorities extended the parliamentary election over the weekend and allowed electronic balloting, with the aim of increasing turnout among the 111 million eligible voters. The Kremlin seeks to demonstrate public support for the war in Ukraine and lend it a veneer of legitimacy, while suppressing dissent. United Russia is anticipated to maintain its significant control of the State Duma, along with several smaller parties that align with the government on key issues.