Moscow Regrets OSCE ODIHR Decision Not To Send Observes To Russian Elections

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th August, 2021) Russia regrets over the decision made by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), a part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), not to send observers to Russia to monitor parliamentary elections in September, Alexander Bikantov, the Foreign Ministry official, said on Thursday.

Earlier this week, the OSCE ODIHR said that it will not send observers to Russia to monitor elections in September due to limitations on the number of observers. The OSCE believes that limitations were imposed "without any clear pandemic-related restrictions."

"We express our regret in connection with the decision of the OSCE / ODIHR to refuse to send an election observation mission to the Russian Federation," Bikantov told a briefing, adding that Moscow will likely "not take into account" OSCE's evaluation of elections due to absence of its observers.