Russian prosecutors have requested a judge to impose a six-year prison sentence on Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of the independent election monitoring group Golos, for allegedly operating an “undesirable” organization, as reported by the exiled news outlet Mediazona on Monday.

Melkonyants was detained in August 2023, accused of collaborating with the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO), a civil society organization based in Montenegro.

Prosecutors assert that Golos functions as “essentially a structural division” of ENEMO, which was designated as “undesirable” by Russia in 2021. ENEMO, which consists of election monitors from 18 Central and Eastern European nations, has countered these allegations.

Melkonyants has refuted the charges, which could lead to a maximum sentence of six years behind bars.

“We are deeply shocked by the punishment being sought,” defense attorney Yulia Ostrovskaya was quoted by Mediazona as telling the judge of the Basmanny District Court in Moscow.

Established in 2000, Golos has publicly condemned instances of voting irregularities during Russia’s 2011 parliamentary elections, the 2012 presidential election—where President Vladimir Putin returned to power—and the 2020 constitutional referendum that allowed Putin to potentially extend his presidency until 2036.

Golos provides training for election monitors and operates a hotline enabling voters to report electoral misconduct. In 2021, Russia’s Justice Ministry designated Golos as a “foreign agent.”