Overview

• Russia lodged a formal protest after Moldova declined to accredit Russian representatives for the 28 September parliamentary elections.
• According to Moscow, ODIHR informed on 23 September that Moldova’s CEC denied accreditation to all 16 Russian short‑term observers on the OSCE mission.
• Moscow says members of Russia’s Public Chamber were also refused international observer status, with Moldovan authorities citing recommendations from the national security service.
• The Foreign Ministry argues the move violates the 1990 OSCE Copenhagen Document and the 2002 CIS election standards, and it will raise the issue with ODIHR and OSCE bodies.
• Russia’s CEC chief Ella Pamfilova labeled the Moldovan election commission’s independence a fiction, while MFA spokeswoman Maria Zakharova urged ODIHR to publicly assess the refusal.