U.S. Condemns Russian Duma Elections in Sokhumi, Tskhinvali

The U.S. condemns Russia organizing polling stations for its State Duma elections on the territories of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine without their consent, said U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price late on September 23.

The State Department Spokesperson said the U.S. also “regrets Russia’s repressive actions that undermined the freeness, fairness, and credibility of its Duma elections.”

Nine polling stations were opened for September 17-19 Russian State Duma elections in occupied Abkhazia and ten polling stations – in Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia. Russian occupying forces, as well as Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officers were also eligible to cast their ballots.

Around 13 thousand people voted in the precincts opened in Abkhazia, and about 11 thousand cast ballots at polling stations in occupied Tskhinvali/Region South Ossetia.

Tbilisi decried the holding of the elections in the occupied regions as “another destructive step by Moscow that grossly violates the fundamental norms of international law and completely disregards the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act.”

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