Polish Foreign Ministry: "Elections in Russia cannot be considered legal, free and fair"

The so-called "elections" in the Russian Federation were held in conditions of severe repression of the population.  Russia should be held responsible for organizing and conducting "elections" in the Ukrainian territories. This is stated in a statement by the Polish Foreign Ministry, reports UNN. 

On March 15-17, 2024, the so-called presidential elections were held in Russia. The voting took place in the context of severe repression of the population, which made it impossible to make a free democratic choice

The Polish diplomatic mission noted that, contrary to international law, "elections" were also organized in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine: in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, as well as in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. Voting was also held in Moldova's Transnistria and the Georgian-held regions of Tskhinval/South Ossetia and Abkhazia.  "The 'elections' organized in this way cannot be considered legal, free and fair," the Polish Foreign Ministry said. 

Due to military censorship, politically motivated criminal cases and the inadmissibility of candidates expressing anti-war views, these "elections" cannot be considered either free or fair, the diplomatic department added. 

The Polish Foreign Ministry also condemned the non-admission of independent Russian observers to observe the voting process and the failure to invite OSCE observers. 

The illegal decision of the Kremlin authorities to hold elections in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories deserves special condemnation. This is a blatant violation of international law, in particular the United Nations Charter, and cannot be seen as anything other than another attempt to undermine Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Poland does not recognize the organization and results of the "elections" in these territories. Russia must be held accountable for their organization and conduct on Ukrainian territories 

The agency also called on Russia to immediately and unconditionally withdraw its troops and weapons from Ukrainian territory and to release all political prisoners illegally held in Russian prisons.

Addendum

The Russian occupiers raided homes and at gunpoint told people who to vote for in the so-called illegal "presidential elections  in Russia.