The court left last month’s verdict in the case unchanged, Rosbaltnord.ru reports. The decision means that the disputed election victory of Viktor Pavlenko remains in force. Ms. Bazanova sued the local election commission after the May 25 election, a vote which she and the political opposition claim was rigged by regional authorities. The Arkhangelsk Election Commission first declared Ms. Bazanova the winner of the vote, but then changed the results after a recount of voted, demanded by acting mayor Pavlenko and his team. As BarentsObserver previously has reported, the court investigation has revealed serious irregularities in the recount of votes. Regional news site Rusnord.ru reports that regional authorities have mobilized all possible resources in the fight against Larisa Bazanova and that the case is “one of the biggest political court cases in Russia the last years”.
