The Basmanny District Court of Moscow will today consider a petition to extend the arrest of Golos co-chairman Grigory Melkonyants. Usually the investigation goes to court with such a petition when the previous preventive measure expires, but Melkonyants’ arrest was decided to be extended much in advance, a Mediazona correspondent reports from the court.
Melkonyants’ arrest period ends on January 17, 2024. At the same time, the Investigative Committee is now asking to extend the measure for three months at once — until April 17, that is, this extension of the arrest will end exactly one month after the expected date of the presidential elections.
Melkonyants' lawyer Mikhail Biryukov told reporters before the start of the hearing that he connects the investigation's early petition with the upcoming elections.
The co-chairman of «Golos» is accused of organizing the work of an «undesirable» non-governmental organization (part 3 of the article 284.1 of the Criminal Code). The investigation believes that the “Voice” movement is a member of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO), which is recognized in Russia «undesirable» organization. In August, at least 15 people in several regions of Russia were searched in connection with this case, and at the same time Melkonyants was sent to a pre-trial detention center.