German goverment criticizes listing of EPDE as "undesirable organization" by the Russian Federation

The Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid, Bärbel Kofler, has criticized the classification of EPDE as "undesirable organization" in Russia.

"I am outraged that the European Platform for Democratic Elections has been listed as an “undesirable foreign organisation” in Russia. In an attempt to discredit independent election observation, even before this decision was taken, the Russian media were awash with fake news and allegations about the NGO European Exchange, which is registered in Germany and receives support from the Federal Foreign Office", Ms Kofler denounced.

"The threat of prosecution hanging over Russian partner organisations as a result of the listing just a few days before the presidential elections casts an extremely critical light on the Russian Government’s approach to its international obligation to conduct free and fair elections. It is also a worrying signal for German Russian relations. I therefore urge the Russian Government to reverse its decision on the listing", Ms Kofler further declared.

See the full statement in English here:

https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/Newsroom/european-platform/1786056

The same statement in German:

https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/newsroom/european-platform/1785576

On 13 March 2018, the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE), a civil society network of independent election observation organizations, and its Lithuanian member International Elections Study Center (IESC) were classified as "undesirable organizations" by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.

EPDE protested against this decision.