MWE Correspondent
Russia’s Supreme Court has upheld a decision barring the country’s only officially registered political party that openly opposes the war in Ukraine from taking part in September’s parliamentary elections.
The court on August 17 rejected an appeal by the liberal Yabloko party, confirming the cancellation of its federal candidate list for the upcoming State Duma elections.
Yabloko had challenged the decision after its candidate list was removed from the ballot. The party has rejected allegations that it violated election rules and has said it intends to pursue further legal options.
The ruling has drawn criticism from opposition activists, who say the decision further narrows political competition in Russia ahead of the September vote. Yabloko has been one of the few established political groups to openly call for an end to the war in Ukraine.
The election is scheduled for September 18–20, when voters will elect members of the 450-seat State Duma.
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The court decision came on the same day that Lev Shlosberg, Yabloko’s deputy chairman and a prominent critic of Russia’s war in Ukraine, was sentenced to 11 years and one month in a penal colony.
Shlosberg was convicted under laws used to punish statements considered to spread false information about Russia’s armed forces and to discredit the military. During his trial, he called for an immediate ceasefire and criticised the war.
Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov has vowed that the party will continue its political activities despite being excluded from the parliamentary ballot. He has also rejected accusations that the party received undeclared foreign support.
The developments have intensified concerns among opposition groups and rights advocates about the political environment in Russia ahead of the elections. Critics argue that the removal of Yabloko from the ballot, together with the imprisonment of one of its senior figures, demonstrates increasing pressure on anti-war and opposition voices.
The Kremlin and Russian authorities have defended their actions as enforcement of the country’s laws and electoral regulations.
For Yabloko, however, the exclusion means that voters who support its openly anti-war platform will not be able to back the party in the federal party-list portion of the September parliamentary elections.
The decision adds another layer of controversy to Russia’s upcoming elections, with the opposition facing tighter restrictions as the country continues its war in Ukraine.
