Queues formed outside Moscow polling stations on Sunday as some voters heeded a call by supporters of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny to cast protest votes in Russia’s presidential election.
AFP reporters at two polling stations saw larger numbers of voters at noon (0900 GMT) compared to earlier in the day following the call for a “Midday Against Putin” protest.
Navalny, President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent rival, died in mysterious circumstances in an Arctic prison last month.
His widow Yulia Navalnaya had called on people to go to polling stations at the same time and spoil their ballots as a protest.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale offensive in Ukraine in 2022, public dissent in Russia has been stifled and government critics have been jailed or forced to flee.
After casting his ballot at a polling station where Navalny used to vote, IT worker Alexander said he came because this was one of the few ways he could protest.
“If I hadn’t done this, I would have felt like a coward,” the 29-year-old said.
Elena, 52, said people were “too afraid” to come out in large numbers.
“I don’t want Russia, my homeland, to be like this… I love my country, I want it to be free.”
Natalya, a 65-year-old pensioner, said she came with her friend Elena, a 38-year-old engineer, to spoil her ballot in memory of Navalny.
“I came to give my farewell to him. He is a hero to me,” Natalya said.
Elena added: “This is our only opportunity to express our opinion.”
