Russia Bans Yabloko From Elections, Deepening Crackdown on Anti-War Opposition

Russia’s Supreme Court has annulled the registration of Yabloko, the country’s only officially registered liberal and openly anti-war party, for the upcoming State Duma elections. The ruling followed a lawsuit filed by the pro-Kremlin nationalist Rodina party on August 7, effectively removing Yabloko from the parliamentary ballot after the Central Election Commission had unanimously approved its participation on July 29.

Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov rejected the decision as baseless, arguing that neither the commission nor repeated Justice Ministry inspections had found grounds to exclude the party.

Rodina accused Yabloko of election violations, including alleged foreign funding and activity on banned social media platforms, while its leader Alexei Zhuravlyov claimed the party’s advocacy for peace with Ukraine showed “signs of extremism.”

Other senior political figures, including Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, LDPR leader Leonid Slutsky and A Just Russia leader Sergei Mironov, also criticized Yabloko over its opposition to Moscow’s war in Ukraine and its calls for negotiations. Yabloko had planned to contest the election under the slogan “For peace and freedom”, with a 43-word programme calling for a ceasefire, diplomacy and peace.

The party’s initial registration had prompted speculation over whether authorities intended to use its participation to channel anti-war sentiment into a controlled electoral outlet or dilute support for other opposition-minded parties.

With Yabloko now excluded, the decision further narrows the range of political positions available to Russian voters ahead of the September 18–20 State Duma elections. The annulment therefore represents not only an electoral setback for Yabloko but another significant restriction on organized anti-war and liberal political expression in Russia.