The Russian authorities have opened a criminal investigation into one of the leaders of a prominent independent election monitoring group, his lawyer said Thursday.
The case against Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of Russia's leading election watchdog Golos, is the latest step in the months-long crackdown on Kremlin critics and rights activists that the government ratcheted up after sending troops into Ukraine.
Melkonyants' lawyer Mikhail Biryukov told The Associated Press that his client is facing charges of "organizing activities" of an "undesirable" group, a criminal offense punishable by up to six years in prison.
Golos has not been labeled "undesirable" -- a label that under a 2015 law makes involvement with such organizations a criminal offense. But it was once a member of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations, a group that was declared "undesirable" in Russia in 2021.
Police raided the homes of a further 14 Golos members on Thursday in eight different cities, Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti reported. Melkonyants' apartment in Moscow was also raided, and he was taken in for questioning.
In an interview with the AP Thursday, David Kankiya, a governing council member at Golos, linked the pressure on the group to the upcoming regional elections in Russia in September and the presidential election that is expected to take place in the spring of 2024. "We see this as a form of political pressure and an attempt to stifle our activities in Russia," Kankiya said.
Golos was founded in 2000 and has since played a key role in independent monitoring of elections in Russia. Over the years, it has faced mounting pressure from the authorities. In 2013, the group was designated as a "foreign agent" -- a label that implies additional government scrutiny and carries strong pejorative connotations. Three years later, it was liquidated as a non-governmental organization by Russia's Justice Ministry.
Golos has continued to operate without registering as an NGO, exposing violations at various elections, and 2021 it was added to a new registry of "foreign agents," created by the Justice Ministry for groups that are not registered as a legal entity in Russia.
Independent journalists, critics, activists and opposition figures in Russia have come under increasing pressure from the government in recent years which intensified significantly amid the conflict in Ukraine. Multiple independent news outlets and rights groups have been shut down, labeled as "foreign agents," or outlawed as "undesirable. Activists and critics of the Kremlin have faced criminal charges.
The authorities have also banned popular social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and have targeted other online services with hefty fines.
On Thursday, a Russian court imposed a 3-million-ruble (US$32,000) fine on Google for failing to delete allegedly false information about the conflict in Ukraine. The move by a magistrate's court follows similar actions in early August against Apple and the Wikimedia Foundation that hosts Wikipedia.
According to Russian news reports, the court found that the YouTube video service, which is owned by Google, was guilty of not deleting videos with incorrect information about the conflict -- which Russia characterizes as a "special military operation".
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A lawyer who negotiated a pair of hush money deals at the centre of Donald Trump's criminal trial recalled Thursday his "gallows humor" reaction to Trump's 2016 election victory and the realization that his hidden-hand efforts might have contributed to the win.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Loblaw chairman Galen Weston and the company's new CEO are pushing back against critics who blame the grocery giant for soaring food prices, as a month-long boycott of the retailer gets underway.
Six years ago, at age 18, Kazushi Kimura left his home and family behind in Hokkaido, Japan to chase a dream. This weekend, he'll ride in the Kentucky Derby.
Scientists working in Indonesia have observed an orangutan intentionally treating a wound on their face with a medicinal plant, the first time this behavior has been documented.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault has called on the police to dismantle the pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the lower field of McGill University's downtown campus in Montreal.
Canada’s financial-crime watchdog has levied a $9.2-million penalty against The Toronto-Dominion Bank for non-compliance with money laundering and terrorist financing measures as the bank also faces compliance investigations in the U.S.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
A heavy police presence was at McGill University on Thursday morning, as counter-protesters assembled opposite the pro-Palestinian encampment at the school.
H5N1 or avian flu has been detected at dozens of U.S. dairy farms and Canadian experts are urging surveillance on our side of the border too.
London Drugs stores in Western Canada remained closed Thursday due to a "cybersecurity incident," marking the fifth straight day of closures.
Police say a fourth teenager has been charged in connection with the death of a student in Halifax last week.
President Joe Biden has called Japan and India “xenophobic” countries that do not welcome immigrants, lumping the two with adversaries China and Russia as he tried to explain their economic circumstances and contrasted the four with the U.S. on immigration.
The European Union announced Thursday an aid package for Lebanon of 1 billion euros — about US$1.06 billion — much of which will go to boost border control to halt the flow of asylum seekers and migrants from the small, crisis-wracked country across the Mediterranean Sea to Cyprus and Italy.
Gangs in Haiti laid siege to several neighbourhoods in Port-au-Prince, burning homes and exchanging gunfire with police for hours as hundreds fled the violence early Thursday in one of the biggest attacks since Haiti's new prime minister was announced.
A Pennsylvania nurse who administered lethal or potentially lethal doses of insulin to numerous patients pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and other charges Thursday and was sentenced to life in prison.
A judge declared a mistrial Thursday after a jury said it was deadlocked and could not reach a verdict in the trial of a military contractor accused of contributing to the abuse of detainees at the Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq two decades ago.
Hamas said Thursday that it was sending a delegation to Egypt for further ceasefire talks, in a new sign of progress in attempts by international mediators to hammer out an agreement between Israel and the militant group to end the war in Gaza.
Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again in the next federal election, saying she has experienced misogyny, disrespectful dialogue in politics and threats to her life.
On Friday, Canadians may get long-awaited answers about the integrity of the country's last two elections, which was thrown into question last year as reports of attempted foreign interference came to light. Here's what we learned.
Veterans Affairs staff found themselves working over the Easter weekend, trying to explain why one of the department's social media posts didn't actually mention the holiday.
H5N1 or avian flu has been detected at dozens of U.S. dairy farms and Canadian experts are urging surveillance on our side of the border too.
Halle Berry is joining a group of bipartisan senators to push for legislation that would put US$275 million toward research and education around menopause, the significant hormone shift women go through in middle age.
Nearly a month after the total solar eclipse, at least 160 cases of eye damage have been reported across the country.
Scientists working in Indonesia have observed an orangutan intentionally treating a wound on their face with a medicinal plant, the first time this behavior has been documented.
Scientists studying a Neanderthal woman's remains have painstakingly pieced together her skull from 200 bone fragments to understand what she may have looked like.
In a first-of-its-kind case, a B.C. tribunal has ruled on a dispute involving the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, awarding damages and issuing orders that the photos be destroyed and taken offline.
The start of the first civil trial stemming from the 2021 Astroworld festival, at which 10 people were killed in a crowd surge, has been delayed.
Guitarist Duane Eddy, best known for twangy riffs on hits such as 'Rebel Rouser' and 'Cannonball,' has died at the age of 86.
Less than a week after reaching a court settlement with her father, Britney Spears has reached one with her soon-to-be-ex-husband.
Investors considering where to park their money have a choice: go with a traditional financial adviser or trust in an algorithm. Here are the pros and cons of both.
Frustration over BCE Inc.'s 4,800 job cuts earlier this year spilled over at the company's annual general meeting on Thursday, as investors and employees questioned executives on their compensation during a period of belt-tightening for staff.
Canadian airlines have enjoyed a two-year boom amid consumer hunger for post-pandemic travel. But as that pent-up demand recedes, the country's largest carrier hopes to ramp up ticket sales to corporate customers instead.
What do you need to pack for a cruise? When it comes to this upcoming cruise from tour and travel company Bare Necessities, the answer appears to be very little.
Nathaly Paola Castro Torres has a rare disorder called Laron syndrome that is caused by a genetic mutation. It stunts her growth but also provides a hidden silver lining: Her body is protected from chronic diseases such as cancer that often take life away long before old age.
In an effort to balance the profitability of Mother's Day with the pain it causes some people, some brands are offering customers the choice to opt out of Mother's Day email advertising.
During what they hope is a deep run through the gruelling Stanley Cup playoffs this spring, the Edmonton Oilers will take all the time off they can get.
Auston Matthews will miss the Maple Leafs' must-win Game 6 against the Boston Bruins.
Billie Jean King is a 39-time Grand Slam champion and an equal rights champion — and now she's getting the Breakfast of Champions treatment. The twice-inducted tennis Hall of Famer will appear on a limited-edition box of Wheaties.
Drivers in Saskatchewan will now lose their licence for a week and their vehicle for a month if they are caught committing certain high-speed and dangerous offences on the road.
Auto sales last month totalled 164,000 units, higher than April 2023, which was the weakest month for sales last year.
Rolls-Royce is vastly expanding its factory in Chichester, England. The BMW subsidiary is adding five new buildings with construction planned to start next year.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
The first weekend of May is a busy one in Vancouver, with a marathon, the start of a documentary film festival, and activities and events for Asian Heritage Month, not to mention a pair of Pearl Jam concerts on either side of a possible (but hopefully unnecessary) Canucks Game 7 at Rogers Arena.
London Drugs stores in Western Canada remained closed Thursday due to a "cybersecurity incident," marking the fifth straight day of closures.
A lawyer for B.C.'s Public Safety Ministry says the City of Surrey was given a pathway to retain the RCMP as its police force, but “made no effort at all” to meet conditions to do so.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Auston Matthews will miss the Maple Leafs' must-win Game 6 against the Boston Bruins.
A synagogue in North York was badly damaged in a two-alarm fire Thursday morning that left one person injured, and officials are working to determine the cause of the blaze.
In an effort to revitalize itself, Fort Calgary is changing its name and logo to reflect more of the history of the location where it sits.
Despite a few snowy days to bring in May, two Calgary municipal golf courses will be open for business Friday.
Calgary police have laid dozens of charges in an operation aimed at addressing ongoing safety concerns at local CTrain stations.
Ottawa paramedics say a teenage male was taken to hospital in critical condition following a stabbing that happened in Nepean Thursday.
Former Ottawa city councillor Diane Deans is in palliative care after a five-year battle with ovarian cancer, according to Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Jessica Bradley.
The Ottawa Police Arson Unit says the fire at an Overbrook apartment building that sent two children and a woman to hospital in critical condition Thursday morning has been deemed suspicious.
A heavy police presence was at McGill University on Thursday morning, as counter-protesters assembled opposite the pro-Palestinian encampment at the school.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault has called on the police to dismantle the pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the lower field of McGill University's downtown campus in Montreal.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
During what they hope is a deep run through the gruelling Stanley Cup playoffs this spring, the Edmonton Oilers will take all the time off they can get.
RCMP are looking for additional victims after an Edmonton man allegedly used Snapchat to lure and sexually assault a youth.
The Alberta government is making changes to a bill that would give cabinet unfettered power to fire mayors and councillors and overturn bylaws.
Police say a fourth teenager has been charged in connection with the death of a student in Halifax last week.
The mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality says she will not re-offer in October’s municipal election.
Two more women have filed lawsuits alleging they were sexually assaulted by an on-duty member of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary who offered them rides home from a night of drinking in downtown St. John's.
An employee at a St. Matthews-area grocery store has been suspended and police are investigating after a confrontation with a customer over the weekend.
The Osborne Village Starbucks is set to close temporarily next week.
A report in front of a city committee reveals attendance is rising at Winnipeg Public Library branches, but so are security incidents.
The opposition NDP are calling on the Saskatchewan government to publicly oppose a potential merger of agriculture giants Viterra and Bunge.
A signature carbon capture and storage project in Saskatchewan continues to miss emissions reduction goals, raising questions about the cost-effectiveness of the technology, according to a report.
The University of Regina (U of R) is reporting its first balanced budget in years – with the promise to reinvest in student supports as the institution puts its pandemic related fiscal challenges in the rear view mirror.
Be prepared to provide a breath sample if you’re stopped by OPP on a Waterloo Region highway.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Reep Green Solutions has set itself an ambitious goal for 2024 – planting 400 trees on 285 private properties in Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Guelph.
Saskatoon police are investigating an assault on a city bus after an 18-year-old man was stabbed on Wednesday afternoon.
A Saskatchewan family won the bovine lottery after their cow gave birth to a rare set of quadruplets.
Saskatoon police are asking for the public’s help in investigating a serious assault that occurred on April 24 near a gas station in the 300 block of Confederation Drive.
An intoxicated man wearing only his underwear and a lifejacket had to be pulled from the Thessalon River early Wednesday evening.
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
Detectives with Sault police, including members of the forensic identification unit, executed a search warrant Thursday inside a residence on Boundary Road.
One person has died following a crash in North Perth late Wednesday night. Around 11:30 p.m. first responders were called to Line 72, east of Perth Road 158 for a passenger vehicle and an off-road vehicle had collided.
London Knights forward Easton Cowan has been named the Red Tilson Trophy winner as the OHL's Most Outstanding Player.
A petition opposing the sale of lands next to the Elgin County Railway Museum in St. Thomas is gaining 'traction.'
Police in Barrie charged one man with attempted murder after an alleged assault sent one individual to a trauma centre with life-threatening injuries on Tuesday.
The family of Jim Lynne is speaking out for the first time since his death in a crash in Wasaga Beach two years ago as the man accused of drunk driving that night prepares to head to trial.
Publicized as a "spellbinding experience," performers from the French-based Cirque De Paris was left scrambling for a temporary building permit approval on Thursday.
A truck driver has been convicted of importing $29 million in methamphetamine across the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor.
The intersection of University Avenue at Church Street has reopened after crews repaired a large sinkhole.
There are very few details available but the house, painted like a rainbow, on Ouellette Avenue has ben destroyed by fire.
B.C. has launched its previously announced secondary suite incentive program, with eligible homeowners able to receive thousands of dollars in forgivable loans to construct a rental unit.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
A food security program delivering meals to seniors on a low income or facing health challenges could soon end in Greater Victoria if funding doesn’t come through.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
Search and rescue crews have been called in after a vehicle belonging to a missing senior was located near a rural intersection outside of Kelowna Tuesday.
Volunteers with ‘The Watch’ program in Lethbridge have been patrolling the city centre rain or shine for five years.
A Transportation Safety Board report says experience, recent training and safety equipment were key factors in a pilot surviving the crash of a firefighting plane south of Cranbrook in August 2022.
Facing a Tuesday night elimination game, Caelan Fitzpatrick responded with a hat trick to lead the Brooks Bandits past the Okotoks Oilers 5-1.
An intoxicated man wearing only his underwear and a lifejacket had to be pulled from the Thessalon River early Wednesday evening.
A 54-year-old suspect has been charged after Ontario Provincial Police capped a three-month investigation with a raid of a residence in Schreiber, Ont.
Social services in the north are bracing for deep funding cuts to homelessness services and Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus is calling on the federal government to explain why it is scaling back at a time when the north is facing a social disaster.
Richard Martin is spending this year's fishing season on land after he says a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer broke his left leg in three places during a protest last month that shut down the provincial legislature.
Tributes continue to pour in for Bob Cole as his family has confirmed a funeral will be held for the legendary broadcaster Friday in St. John's, N.L.
Legendary sportscaster Bob Cole was a Newfoundlander through and through, and his daughter says his connection to the province was 'everything' to him.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
