18:39, 18 March 2018

Doctors and teachers threatened into voting at presidential elections in Sochi

At a polling station in Sochi. March 18, 2018. Photo by Svetlana Kravchenko for the "Caucasian Knot"

Employees of budgetary organizations in Sochi were threatened into voting at certain polling stations and forced to hand over the "flyers" received after the voting, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has found out.

Sochi's state employees told that their employers ordered them to come with absentee coupons to certain polling stations in the morning and vote. After that, they had to show as evidence the "flyers" with the inscription "Thank you for your choice!".

Among such people there were employees of administrations, doctors, teachers, and military men.

"I was told at work that it was necessary to prove that I had voted, otherwise I won't be paid a bonus," said an employee of a municipal enterprise.

"It's just crazy what is happening here! In just two hours, 700 people have voted here!" said Ivan, an observer at one of the polling stations. He suggested that these voters are "budget workers".

"I heard people say that they took photos of their ballot papers and sent them to their bosses via WhatsApp to show who they voted for," said Sergei Dotsenko, a voter.

Coercion to vote is punishable under the law.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.

Author: Svetlana Kravchenko

Source: CK correspondent