'An unprecedented amount of fraud may have occurred during Russia’s weeklong vote to change the Constitution and give President Vladimir Putin the option to extend his rule until 2036, researchers and election observers say.
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Prominent physicist Sergei Shpilkin published statistical evidence Thursday of widespread voter fraud at the June 25-July 1 plebiscite.
Shpilkin’s graphs of 88 million votes show shares of “yes” votes approaching 100% in precincts that reported similarly abnormally high turnouts. This suggests that up to 22 million votes may have been cast fraudulently, Shpilkin told Forbes Russia.
“There was no manipulation of votes in Russia’s elections on this scale in the recent past. In absolute terms, this is an unprecedented case,” he said.
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The vote's result drew criticism in the United States, which raised concerns over efforts to "manipulate" the ballot, while the EU called on Russia to probe reports of voting "irregularities." '
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Data Scientist Claims ‘Staggering’ Fraud at Russia’s Constitution Vote, July 3, 2020
'For the first time, members of Russia's 750,000-strong police force have openly challenged the authorities over Vorontsov's treatment but also on the functioning and methods of the police, at a time when policing in the United States is under intense scrutiny following the death of George Floyd.''Supporters of the stocky, blue-eyed 35-year-old say that the real reason for his arrest is his Police Ombudsman project, a series of linked social media accounts dedicated to protecting police officers' rights and exposing abuse by their superiors.
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With no genuinely independent police trade unions in Russia, Vorontsov's initiative has become popular, attracting more than half a million followers.
It has exposed allegations of corruption within law enforcement and denounced pressure on officers to fulfil quotas for fines and arrests.
It has also drawn attention to long working hours and suicides in the police force, for which precise figures are not publicly available.
Vorontsov has criticised excessive use of force by police and supported claimants' successful legal court cases.
For the first time, members of Russia's 750,000-strong police force have openly challenged the authorities over Vorontsov's treatment but also on the functioning and methods of the police, at a time when policing in the United States is under intense scrutiny following the death of George Floyd.
Dozens of serving and former police staff in Russia have taken to social media to call for Vorontsov's release.
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Tsaplin, who was paid a monthly salary of 43,000 rubles ($620) -- above the average for his region -- said that while ordinary police lived modestly, some senior officers were deeply corrupt and gave the force a bad name.
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They and other critics say police staff often have to buy their own uniforms and office equipment and are forced to accept unpaid overtime and unfair dismissals.
Conditions for many are so hard, they say, that dozens of police in Russia commit suicide every year.
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For some, Vorontsov's project was also an unusual opportunity to express anti-Kremlin views, said a former police major, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity.
"There are plenty of those" who oppose Putin among the police, he said.
The president, a 67-year-old ex-KGB officer, has ruled Russia for two decades and could remain in power until 2036 following a controversial vote to amend the constitution.'
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Crusading ex-cop's arrest sparks police pushback in Russia, July 3, 2020
ContextEU Calls For Investigation Into Irregularities In 'Triumphant' Vote For Putin(Total Police Reform) - Deescalation and conversation, Camden, New Jersey, is seeing its lowest crime rate in 50 years'..Russia .. teeming with corrupt parasites .. consuming the bear from within.'"Russia Is Slipping Back into an Authoritarian Empire"