WASHINGTON, 20 September 2021, (TON):  United Sate has said that the September 17-19 Duma elections in the Russian Federation took place under conditions not conducive to free and fair proceedings.

According to the press release issued by the US State Department, the Russian government’s use of laws on “extremist organizations,” “foreign agents,” and “undesirable organizations” severely restricted political pluralism and prevented the Russian people from exercising their civil and political rights.

It added that Russian government restrictions, which were preceded by widespread efforts to marginalize independent political figures, also prevented the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and its Parliamentary Assembly from observing the elections, constricting transparency that is essential to fair elections.

These actions contradict Russia’s obligations, including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as its commitments to the OSCE and other international and regional bodies.