EPDE and its 15 members protest the actions of the Russian authorities. Stefanie Schiffer, EPDE board member, commented: "We protest against the listing as "undesirable organization" and against the wholesale criminalization and discrediting of our network. We demand the immediate withdrawal of this measure by the Russian Ministry of Justice.

The German Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid, Bärbel Kofler, has criticized the decision of Russian government. "I am appalled by the listing of the 'European Platform for Democratic Elections' as an 'undesirable foreign organization' in Russia”, Ms Kofler declared. "I call on the Russian government to repeal this listing". 

It is worth mentioning, that Russian election observer organization and a member of EDPE – GOLOS and it's activists are under constant repression from the Russian Government. With the law on "undesirable organizations" introduced in 2015, the Russian government attempts to criminalize the international cooperation of democratic movements. Employees of listed international organizations and their partners in the Russian Federation may face up to six years imprisonment, a ban on entering Russia and numerous other sanctions for continuing their cooperation.  

European Platform for Democratic Elections is a network of independent election observer organizations founded in Warsaw in 2012. EPDE aims to supporting citizens’ election observation in the countries of the Eastern Partnership, in the Russian Federation and throughout Europe, and to contribute to democratic electoral processes. ISFED is a founding member of the Platform. 

The 2018 presidential election is set to take place on 18 March in the Russian Federation.