Grigoryj Melkonjants, leader of independent Golos, which monitors Russian elections, has been sentenced to five years in prison.
According to a court in Moscow, the 44-year-old has organized the work of an "undesirable" organization.
Melkonjants was arrested in August 2023. He himself has dismissed the charges against him as politically motivated.
Since its founding in 2000, Golos has monitored and exposed violations in every major Russian election. As a result, the organization has faced increasing pressure from the authoritarian regime in Moscow.
