Masked police detained an election observer from Russia’s anti-war Yabloko party at a polling station in the Rostov region
Police officers wearing balaclavas detained Boris Miklyukov, an election observer for the Yabloko party, in Russia’s Rostov region, where early voting has begun, according to the party’s press service.
Miklyukov was working at polling station No. 58 in the village of Yuzhny in the Azov district. Two plainclothes officers wearing balaclavas arrived to take him into custody, along with one uniformed police officer from Rostov-on-Don, roughly 100 kilometers (62 miles) away.
The officers put Miklyukov in a police vehicle and drove away, presumably taking him to Police Station No. 8 in Rostov-on-Don. No one has been able to reach him.
The reason for his detention is unknown. Yabloko believes police interest in the party member may be connected to a comment he posted on social media. In 2022, Miklyukov was fined under Russia’s law against “discrediting” the military over comments he made in a chat.
Russian authorities are trying in various ways to keep Yabloko from participating in the elections. The party is campaigning under the anti-war slogan “For Peace and Freedom.”
Elections in Russia will be held from September 18 to 20, though voting began early in regions near the front line. Elections at various levels will take place across the country during this period, including races for seats in the ninth State Duma.
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How exactly?
First, Russia’s Supreme Court struck Yabloko’s federal list from the State Duma race, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, citing contrived grounds. Courts across the country then began removing the party’s individual-district candidates and regional lists as well. Authorities have also obstructed Yabloko’s campaigning and barred its observers from polling stations. In St. Petersburg, election commission members representing Yabloko received summonses to appear at the local draft office on the first day of voting.