Observers in Krasnodar report serious pressure

In Krasnodar, election observers have faced pressure exerted on them via their families or employers; therefore they were forced to reduce their presence time at polling stations.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that voting at presidential election is taking place in Russia on March 15-17. In the Krasnodar Territory, observers have complained about violations during mobile voting and obstacles with their work at polling stations; and in the Volgograd Region, they reported portraits of the incumbent president at five polling stations.

In Krasnodar, on March 15, observers and independent members of election commissions faced enormous pressure, Roman Pilipenko, an experienced observer and a former member of the Territorial Election Commission (TEC), has stated.

"They received phone calls; certain people tried to intimidate them by finding some relatives who could be put under pressure, and force the observer to leave their polling stations ... Few employers are happy to have an employee who participates in political activities," Mr Pilipenko has explained.

In other cases, pressure manifested itself in the fact that some people walked around the station and asked observers to leave.

The situation is complicated by the three-day-long voting – not everyone can be under constant pressure for so long, Roman Pilipenko has added. He has noted among the violations that copies of important final protocols were not issued. He has noted that number of observers refused to go out right before the start of the voting.

At the polling station located opposite the Krasnodar Territorial Administration, employees of the administration and state companies came to vote in groups, an observer from this polling station has stated.

"Pressure was applied on observers – not directly, but through their families or workplaces. This concerns me and another observer," he has added.