Golos Movement Leader Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison in Russia

Moscow Court Sentences Golos Movement Co-Chair to Five Years in Prison Moscow, May 14, 2025 – Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of the Russian election monitoring organization Golos, was sentenced today to five years in prison by the Basmanny District Court. The court found him guilty of organizing the activities of an ‘undesirable’ organization, a charge his defense team vehemently denies. Melkonyants’s arrest in August 2023, shortly before crucial elections, sparked international concern. His supporters have consistently maintained that Golos is an independent organization and that it never engaged in activities that could be deemed illegal. A spokesperson for the defense stated: "There is no evidence whatsoever to support the charges against Mr. Melkonyants. This is a politically motivated prosecution." The verdict has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights groups and international observers, who view it as a further crackdown on civil society in Russia. The defense plans to appeal the ruling. The video footage from the courtroom and the witness statement provide compelling evidence of the event's significance and the ongoing concerns about political repression in Russia.