Russia reports a turnout of more than 50 percent. Contrary to fears, the first Friday prayers of Ramadan in Jerusalem are peaceful

In the presidential election, which was marked by allegations of fraud, Russia reported a turnout of more than 50 percent on the second of three voting days. By 4 p.m. Moscow time (2 p.m. CET) on Saturday, more than one in two eligible voters had already cast their votes, either at a polling station or online, the deputy head of Russia’s election commission, Nikolai Bulayev, said, according to Interfax. desk.

Voter turnout in the elections is an important value for the Kremlin, so that President Vladimir Putin can ultimately show that a large part of the population actively supports him and his war of aggression against Ukraine. However, independent observers point to systematic fraud.

For example, employees of state-owned enterprises are reportedly being pushed to the polls in large numbers. According to independent media, hundreds of companies have already published group photos of their employees in front of each polling station on social networks. Video footage also showed how people were taken en masse in buses to voting locations. There were also reports of intense pressure on the Ukrainian people to participate in illegal voting in the occupied territories of the attacked country.

The vote in Russia, aimed at securing Putin’s fifth term as president after about a quarter of a century in power, continues until 7pm CET on Sunday evening. State pollsters predict a turnout of more than 70 percent. The 71-year-old Kremlin chief has no real opponents. Serious opposition members have not been accepted as candidates, have fled abroad or are in prison camps. In total, Moscow is calling on 114 million people to take part in the controversial vote – including more than 4.5 million in areas of Ukraine occupied in violation of international law. (sda/dpa)