As dictatorship increases pressure on civil society, election reform groups like Russia election watchdog are targets of Vladimir Putin’s crackdown

Russian court fines NGO under ‘foreign agent’ law

AFP

A Russian court on Thursday slapped a $10,000 fine on the election monitor Golos, in the first ruling against NGOs for purportedly violating new legislation forcing them to register as “foreign agents.” Golos (Voice), a Moscow-based organisation that monitors Russian elections for violations, was given…