Comments on: Russian Government’s Own Civil Society Organization Finds Crimean Referendum Falsified

By: Land and Sea Journal

Land and Sea Journal — Tue, 06 May 2014 19:22:26 +0000

Courtesy pnoozi:

For some inexplicable reason… the Russian Federation has a history of appointing Human Rights Ministers who actually take their job seriously. Given how thoroughly corrupt Russia has always been, and continues to be, I have absolutely no clue how this is even possible, but it seems to be the case.

Sergei Kovalev, despite being a former Soviet dissident, was Russia’s first Human Rights Commissioner and helped author the modern Russian Constitution in the early 90s, including the parts that protect human rights. He wrote a relatively scathing indictment (It’s a good read!) of Russia’s involvement in Chechnya. Then was dismissed for it in 1995.

This recent report was written by the President’s Human Rights Council, and it seems they actually took an objective look at the referendum. Although their study wasn’t exactly thorough, it doesn’t seem to carry any kind of bias or blatantly misrepresent anything.

By: Oksana

Oksana — Tue, 06 May 2014 18:00:55 +0000

Michael, what do you mean “speculation?” Did you actually read the report? all data is in it: numbers, dates, names.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 06 May 2014 08:36:43 +0000

Speculation.
They point out that came to this conclusion as a result of a trip to the Crimea and meetings “with officials of public authorities, clergy, journalists, public figures, lawyers, human rights activists and citizens.” Specific names and evidence is not provided.

By: Land and Sea Journal

Land and Sea Journal — Tue, 06 May 2014 04:04:07 +0000

Courtesy: derphurr

This report:

This document is a member of the EA Bobrov, leader of the “Migration and Law” HRC “Memorial” SA Gannushkina and lawyer web Tseytlina OP on the visit of Simferopol and Sevastopol in the period from 15 to 18 April 2014, meetings with officials of public authorities, clergy, journalists, public figures, lawyers, human rights activists and citizens

The take away..

the vast majority of inhabitants of Sevastopol voted in a referendum to join Russia (50-80% turnout),
in Crimea on different According to join Russia 50-60% of voters voted for a total turnout of 30-50%
Crimean residents voted not so much for joining Russia, as for the termination, in their words, “corruption and lawlessness thieves dominance Donetsk henchmen.”
So the election results might be false. But there is not information on how this informal poll was even conducted.

Official results.

[Mikhail Malyshev, the Crimean election Spokesman,] who spoke briefly Monday morning on Crimean televsion, said a total of 1,274,096 people voted, for an 83.1 percent turnout. Of those who cast a ballot, [sic] 1,233,002 voted to shift to Russia, 31,997 voted to stay with Ukraine, and 9,097 were in invalid.