ZCZC
BFF-19
RUSSIA-VOTE-POLITICS-CRIME
Russian election chief attacked ahead of polls: police
MOSCOW, Sept 6, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – The head of Russia’s central election
committee was attacked at night by a masked assailant who climbed into her
house and hit her with a taser, Russian police said Friday.
The attack on 65-year-old Ella Pamfilova, at around 1:30 am (Thursday 2330
GMT) came ahead of contentious regional elections on Sunday, which have
prompted large protests in Moscow.
Police described the attack in a village outside Moscow as “armed assault,”
saying the offender “entered the house’s conservatory via a window and hit
the owner with an electric shocker several times, after which he fled”.
Pamfilova on Friday took part in a press conference and television footage
did not show any visible injuries. She told journalists that she is ok. “I’ll
survive,” she was quoted as saying by Interfax.
Police have launched a probe into the attack.
State media immediately speculated that the attack could be foul play
related to elections for Moscow city parliament, criticised by the opposition
after authorities barred most independent candidates from standing.
“What was it, a robbery or carrying out of an order to disrupt the
election?” asked state-controlled Rossiya 24 channel.
Meanwhile, top opposition leader Alexei Navalny claimed that the attack was
“fake”.
Electoral officials including Pamfilova have backed the decision to bar
opposition candidates, saying the signatures of supporters they gathered in
order to run were invalid.
This led to the biggest political crisis in years, with large protests
gathering in the capital since July to demand that the opposition be allowed
to run.
Following mass detentions, several people have been sentenced to long
prison terms for attacking police during the rallies.
“I hope the culprits are found quickly,” wrote one of the rejected
opposition candidates, Lyubov Sobol.
“Pamfilova should certainly be put on trial for election falsifications.
But I’m against extrajudicial punishment.”
BSS/AFP/RY/1723 hrs