Russia's Supreme Court bars anti-war Yabloko party from elections

Russia's Supreme Court on Monday banned the liberal Yabloko party from participating in the September parliamentary elections, effectively sidelining the only registered party opposing Moscow's war in Ukraine. The ruling underscores the authorities' intolerance of anti-war sentiment and further narrows the already limited space for dissent in Russian politics.

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We will appeal the decision. Friends, let's not despair.

The court's decision came after a lawsuit filed by Rodina, a small pro-Kremlin nationalist party. Rodina accused Yabloko of receiving undeclared campaign donations, including from Western sources. Yabloko leader Nikolay Rybakov argued during the hearing that there was no evidence to support the accusations. He described the case as an unconstitutional attack by political opponents seeking to clear the field of rivals.

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There is no evidence to support the accusations.

In a rare display of opposition to the regime, several hundred mostly young supporters attended the hearing, accompanied by police. Some carried apples, the symbol of the Yabloko party, which means "apple" in Russian. One supporter draped himself in the Russian flag. The party stated it would appeal the decision, urging supporters not to despair.

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This is an unconstitutional attack by political opponents, who want to clear the field of rivals, on freedom of thought.