Czech lawmakers called for not recognizing Russia’s “elections” in the occupied Ukrainian territories
Kyiv • UNN
Around 40 Czech lawmakers called the elections to Russia’s State Duma illegitimate due to repression and voting in the occupied territories of Ukraine. They urged the EU not to recognize the results and to impose sanctions.
Around forty Czech lawmakers called for the results of the elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation, which will take place from Friday through Sunday, including in the occupied territories of Ukraine, not to be recognized, UNN reports, citing Radio Prague.
According to them, the Russian elections have nothing to do with free and fair voting and are therefore completely devoid of legitimacy. The appeal, initiated by the Friends of a Free Russia group, was signed, among others, by Civic Democrat and former Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, former Defence Minister Jana Černochová (Civic Democratic Party), deputies Olga Richterová (Pirate Party) and Christian Democrat Jan Bartošek, Senator David Smoljak (STAN/"Mayors and Independents" party), as well as Member of the European Parliament Veronika Vrecionová (Civic Democratic Party).
The group sharply criticized the holding of voting in the territories of Ukraine occupied by Russia, including Crimea, Sevastopol, and parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. The authors of the appeal also pointed to the exclusion and cancellation of the registration of candidates and lists from the Russian opposition, as well as repression against independent observers, journalists and civil society. In this regard, they called on the international community—first and foremost the European Union and the governments of its member states—to declare the voting in the occupied territories invalid, refuse to recognize its results, and impose new sanctions against individuals and legal entities involved in organizing or legitimizing these elections.
During the three-day vote, which will begin on Friday, Russian voters will elect 450 deputies to the State Duma of the Russian Federation. At the same time, elections to legislative assemblies and local self-government bodies will be held in many regions.