While Russia continues to deny claims of electoral corruption, two separate trials have begun into allegations of widespread fraud.

Risking her career as an educator, one teacher who worked as an election monitor says teachers were paid to stuff ballot boxes to fix the result in parliamentary elections in December.

She is being sued for libel by the district head of education.

Meanwhile in Astrakhan, an independent monitor has presented a court with evidence he says proves the mayoral elections there were fixed.

Both are becoming champions of the opposition's cause to bring about fair and transparent elections in the future.

Al Jazeera's Sue Turton reports from St Petersburg.