The electoral process in Russia-annexed Crimea could lead to a new wave of repression in case Crimeans publicly refuse to vote, Chairman of the Crimean Human Rights Group Olga Skrypnyk has told Hromadske.tv.
”The so-called electoral process in Crimea could trigger a new wave of repression if people publicly refuse or write that they disagree with these elections, or urge not to go to the elections. This may cause a new wave of administrative and criminal persecution,” she said.
According to her, the Article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on ”encroachment on territorial integrity” can be applied in this case.
Skrypnyk also said that human rights defenders would not monitor the electoral process due to the illegal nature of the elections to the State Duma in the territory of the annexed Crimea.
The human rights activist said that the Russian-controlled authorities in the temporarily occupied Crimea were forcing people to go to the elections to the State Duma, threatening them with layoffs and wage cuts.
