Russian court bars anti-war Yabloko party from September elections
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
A Moscow court on Monday barred Russia’s sole anti-war party, Yabloko, from participating in next month’s parliamentary elections, after a lawsuit by the pro-Kremlin Rodina party. The ruling sparked chants of ‘Shame!’ from hundreds of supporters gathered outside the courthouse, as Yabloko had been the only registered party to oppose the war in Ukraine.
The Verdict
Rodina accused Yabloko of supporting the ‘international LGBT movement’ — designated extremist in 2023 — by publishing material on its website, and alleged copyright infringement after a party member quoted the Soviet-era song ‘Let there always be sunshine’ in an interview. The Kremlin-controlled Central Electoral Commission had approved Yabloko’s candidate list in late July, despite prior disqualifications of several members, including deputy leader Maxim Kruglov, who was sentenced to seven years in prison in June for social-media posts about civilian casualties in Bucha and Mariupol. During the hearing, Russia’s financial monitoring service claimed the party received foreign funds through third parties from Germany and the United States. Rodina also alleged that Yabloko had received undeclared campaign support, according to Al Jazeera.
Public Reaction
Hundreds of mostly young supporters gathered outside the Moscow courthouse, singing songs, waving flags, and holding apples — a play on the party’s name, which means ‘apple’ in Russian. The eight-hour hearing ended with chants of ‘Shame!’ after the verdict was announced. Such public demonstrations are extremely rare in Russia, where wartime censorship laws have effectively banned protests and heavy penalties curb dissent. Chalk messages reading ‘For Yabloko. For freedom’ were scribbled on the pavement near the court.
Yabloko’s Election History
Yabloko has not won seats in the State Duma since 2003 but has contested every subsequent election. Once led by presidential contender Grigory Yavlinsky, the party later fractured — expelling Alexei Navalny in 2007 and later criticizing him even after his imprisonment and death in 2024. Its 2026 campaign ran under the slogan ‘For peace and freedom! For a life without fear!’ and advocated a ceasefire, diplomacy, and an end to political repression. The party suffered a cyberattack last week shortly after launching a donations appeal for its campaign fund.
What's Next
The parliamentary elections are set for September, with pro-Kremlin parties now facing no organized liberal opposition. It remains unclear whether any independent candidates or smaller movements will fill the void left by Yabloko’s exclusion, but the verdict underscores the near-total suppression of anti-war voices in Russia.
3 sources
Russian court bars anti-war Yabloko party from September elections
