MOSCOW, January 15. /TASS/. The Federation Council’s Commission for the Protection of State Sovereignty and Prevention of Interference in the Internal Affairs of Russia has found that Western countries are increasing the number of participants in the campaign for discrediting the presidential election to be held in Russia in March this year.

"The Federation Council’s Commission for the Protection of State Sovereignty and Prevention of Interference in the Internal Affairs of Russia in the course of monitoring has found that the Western countries are increasing the number of participants in attempts to discredit the presidential election in Russia. Foreign agents, controlled media and NPOs are systematically used for attempts to interfere," the commission said in its Telegram channel.

In particular, the commission's working group, which conducts the monitoring, notes the special activity of the Voice of America, sponsored by the US government and included in Russia’s register of foreign agents. "This propaganda resource continues to replicate groundless attacks on the Russian electoral system and actually spreads calls for attempts to disrupt the vote," the commission notes.

In addition, the senators draw attention to the fact that foreign agents based in Russia are working in conjunction with Western anti-Russian propaganda aimed against the elections.

"The Golos movement, recognized as a foreign agent, continues to publish unsubstantiated accusations of 'coercion and illegal collection of signatures’," the report reads.

The commission’s members also recorded the involvement of Western-controlled NGOs in attempts to discredit Russian legislation under the guise of rhetoric about the protection of human rights.

"The Human Rights Watch report for 2023 was an obvious manipulation of this kind. Under the guise of an independent assessment, this so-called ‘report’ criticizes Russia for protecting its sovereignty and traditional values, countering extremism, terrorism, rehabilitation of Nazism and other destructive manifestations. It is indicative that this ‘report’ expresses support for terrorists, extremists, foreign agents and undesirable organizations involved in attempts to discredit elections, including the Golos movement, which is recognized as a foreign agent," the legislators point out.

Russia’s presidential election will be held on March 15-17, 2024.