On October 24, High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Tatiana Moskalkova took part in the 55th special meeting of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.

The participants of the event discussed the report of the monitoring working group on elections and prospects for the development of electoral legislation.

During the meeting, the High Commissioner stressed that the activities of state bodies to protect the electoral rights of citizens are aimed at ensuring representative democracy and are a form of exercising people’s sovereignty.

Speaking about the latest elections, Tatiana Moskalkova reported that on the Single Voting Day the High Commissioner’s Office monitored the observance of citizens’ electoral rights.

"Since September 7, a round-the-clock hot line on the protection of electoral rights was organized. A number of applicants were provided with explanations, complaints on violations of electoral rights of citizens were forwarded for consideration to competent authorities," the High Commissioner noted.

"During my visit to polling stations in Moscow, there was detected a lack of necessary conditions for voting of people with disabilities, and normal transport accessibility," Tatiana Moskalkova added.

According to the High Commissioner, according to the analysis of information received from regional ombudspersons, premises for voting were accessible for persons with disabilities and, in general, the polling stations were equipped in accordance with the requirements of the current legislation. However, in the Tver, Murmansk and Penza regions, Kabardino-Balkaria, and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area, an accessible environment for voting of persons with disabilities was ensured only after the intervention of regional Commissioners.

In addition, for the voting of persons with disabilities, regional Commissioners took measures to equip polling stations entrance groups and transfer some polling stations to the lower floors.

"Commissioners in the constituent entities of Russia sent a number of requests to supervisory and investigative bodies concerning the alleged violations of electoral rights, including those on illegal early voting, attacks on candidates and their detention by police officers, as well as violations of voting procedures," Tatiana Moskalkova said.

The High Commissioner stressed that in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, the were not any systemic violations of the electoral rights of citizens on the Single Voting Day.

"In general, the elections on September 10, 2017, were held in accordance with the current legislation. At the same time, I believe it is necessary to improve the mechanism for conducting the monitoring itself during the subsequent federal and regional elections in the Russian Federation in terms of increasing efficiency in cooperation with the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Russia and other state and public structures that organize elections or exercise public control while preparing and conducting election campaigns," Tatiana Moskalkova said.

In conclusion, the High Commissioner suggested improving the quality and efficiency of the work on reports of possible violations and response measures.

"During the past elections, the interaction with the CEC of Russia was more technical in nature. I consider it expedient to conduct monitoring of the electoral process taking into account the information on violations, and mutual assistance in verifying such reports," Tatiana Moskalkova said.