Russia's Supreme Court on Monday ruled to cancel the registration of the candidate list of the Yabloko party – the only officially registered opposition party opposing Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine – from next month's parliamentary election.
Judge Vyacheslav Kirillov said the request to cancel the party's federal list for the 9th State Duma had been granted. The lawsuit was filed by the pro-Kremlin nationalist party Rodina, which accused Yabloko of receiving undeclared election support, including from Western sources.
Earlier, the Central Election Commission last month had approved Yabloko to compete along with 10 other parties, giving voters a chance to express discontent with the conflict that has lasted four and a half years.
During the day-long hearing, Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov insisted there was no evidence supporting the accusations, describing the case as an unconstitutional attack on freedom of thought by political rivals seeking to clear their path to the ballot.
About 100 supporters, mostly young people, gathered outside the court while police stood by. After the ruling was announced, the crowd chanted “Shame! Shame!” Some carried apples – the symbol of the Yabloko party (meaning 'apple' in Russian).
Speaking to supporters, Rybakov said the party would appeal the decision. “A long road lies ahead, and we have a big and important task: to prevent deaths and bring peace back. Everything we do should be for that.”
With most opponents of President Vladimir Putin jailed, exiled, or dead, Yabloko is the only liberal party still functioning in Russia. It is backed by some exiled opposition figures, including Yulia Navalnaya, widow of the late opposition leader Alexey Navalny. Both have been designated as 'extremist' in Russia.
According to a poll earlier this year, Yabloko had only about 3% support – below the 5% threshold needed to enter the lower house. Since 2003, the party has not won any seats in the State Duma. In subsequent elections, the ruling United Russia party, which backs Putin, has always won.
Efforts to end the war in Ukraine through diplomacy have so far been fruitless, as Putin has made tough territorial demands and rejected the possibility of negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Independent polls show a majority of Russians support peace talks with Kyiv.
