Source: HRO.org (info), 11/04/12 

· Electoral rights · Ombudsmen 

Federal human rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin has proposed including electoral fraud within the legal definition of ‘extremism’. Lukin announced this proposal on Wednesday, 11 April, during a visit to Tomsk. 

Lukin explained his idea on the grounds that falsifying the results of the expression of the people’s will in local, regional or federal elections was one of the worst violations of the Constitution, and therefore should be punished ‘most severely’. Lukin believes that consequently Russian legislation should be amended to include the provision that “malicious, intentional attempts to pervert the will of the people as it exercises its authority through elections” is “one of the most serious forms of extremism.” [Read more]