Russian vote monitor hit with big fine ahead of polls

Russia’s independent election watchdog Golos said on Tuesday it had been fined a whopping 1.2 million rubles for violating controversial legislation forcing non-governmental organisations to carry a “foreign agent” tag.

Supporters and fellow rights activists said the fine - equivalent to USD 18,300 or 16,150 euros – is believed to be the largest ever imposed on a Russian organisation for violating the notorious law and comes ahead of parliamentary polls in September.

Following unprecedented protests against his decade-long rule, President Vladimir Putin in 2012 signed off on a law that requires non-governmental organisations which receive foreign funding to register with the authorities as “foreign agents”.

The legislation has caused huge concern among Russian NGOs that say the law has been designed to stigmatise them in the eyes of everyday Russians, and many organisations said they would not comply.