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Moscow election officials want independent candidate Lyubov Sobol charged with a felony offense

Source: RIA Novosti

Moscow’s City Election Commission says it will report Lyubov Sobol to the Investigative Committee for impeding the agency’s work by appearing at an official meeting on July 25. Election officials want the unregistered independent City Duma candidate prosecuted on felony charges.

On Thursday, July 25, Lyubov Sobol attended a meeting at Moscow's Election Commission building, where officials considered complaints from rejected City Duma candidates. Sobol also demanded that the commission review documents she brought with her. When the meeting was moved to another room where journalists were not permitted, Sobol remained in the building, and announced that she would continue her hunger protest, without rising from the couch where she sat. The authorities later carried her out of the building, atop the couch, and arrested her outside.

On Wednesday, July 24, Moscow’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal case in response to the opposition’s protests against election officials’ refusal to register dozens of independent candidates in upcoming City Duma elections. According to the Moscow Investigative Committee’s head office, “the participants of one of the movements have organized deliberately illegal and unpermitted rallies and public pickets at buildings and Moscow Election Commission premises, with the goal of exerting pressure on members of the city’s election commission and local district election commissions.” Officials say election commission members have also been threatened with violence.

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