Supporters of Anti-War Party Detained in Moscow Ahead of Election Appeal Hearing

Russian security forces detained dozens of supporters of the anti-war Yabloko party in Moscow as the country's Supreme Court heard an appeal regarding the party's exclusion from the September parliamentary elections. Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov reported that at least 35 individuals were taken into custody outside the courthouse.

The party, which opposes Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, had appealed a previous court decision that upheld its disqualification. The exclusion followed a lawsuit filed by the pro-Kremlin ultranationalist Rodina party, which accused Yabloko of violating election laws, including alleged foreign funding and copyright infringements. Rybakov dismissed these claims as baseless.

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the final, official dismantling of the electoral system. This would lead to the destruction of the Russian state.

Rybakov urged the court to reinstate Yabloko's eligibility to participate in the September 18-20 elections, warning that the ongoing "official dismantling" of the electoral system could lead to the "destruction of the Russian state." He argued that the exclusion politically motivated, aimed at removing an alternative for millions of Russian voters who support peace.

Prior to the detentions, Yabloko had warned supporters about police pressure, with reports of officers visiting homes to discourage participation in election-related activities. Among those detained was actor Viktor Balabanov, who was slated to run for the party in the Duma elections.

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The opponents of Yabloko realized that they could not defeat the party advocating for peace in an honest election campaign.