Russia Bans Only Anti-War Party From September Election in Shock Court Ruling

Russia’s Supreme Court has barred the liberal Yabloko party from contesting next month’s parliamentary elections, delivering a decisive blow to the country’s only registered anti-war political force.

The ruling, issued Monday, removes Yabloko from the nationwide party-list ballot after a lawsuit filed by the pro-Kremlin nationalist party Rodina accused it of receiving foreign funding, violating copyright law, and promoting extremism. Yabloko, which has campaigned under the slogan “For peace and freedom,” is the sole party in Russia to openly oppose the war in Ukraine.

The Legal Case Against Yabloko Rodina’s lawsuit centered on three key allegations. First, it claimed Yabloko received foreign funding, including from Germany and the U.S., through third-party channels—a charge supported by Russia’s financial monitoring service, Rosfinmonitoring. During the hearing, judges briefly adjourned to allow Yabloko’s legal team to review classified evidence under non-disclosure agreements.

Second, Rodina accused Yabloko of copyright infringement after a senior party member quoted lyrics from the Soviet-era song “Let there always be sunshine” in an interview. Third, the party was accused of promoting extremism by publishing material in support of the “international LGBT movement,” which Russia’s Supreme Court designated as extremist in 2023.

Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov denied the foreign funding allegations, stating the party is funded solely by Russian citizens. He announced plans to appeal the ruling.

Public Reaction and Political Fallout Around 100 supporters, mostly young people, gathered outside the Moscow courthouse during the hearing, waving flags and singing songs. When the verdict was announced, videos on social media showed the crowd chanting “Shame! Shame!”

The ruling follows a pattern of pressure on Yabloko. In June, deputy leader Maxim Kruglov was sentenced to seven years in prison for social media posts about civilian casualties in Ukrainian cities like Bucha and Mariupol. Last week, the party reported a cyberattack after launching a donations appeal for its election campaign.

A Party on the Margins Yabloko has struggled to gain traction in recent years. A poll earlier this year showed the party at 3% support—below the 5% threshold needed to enter Russia’s lower house, the State Duma. It last won seats in 2003.

Independent polls suggest most Russians favor peace negotiations with Kyiv, but Yabloko’s exclusion leaves no legal avenue for anti-war voices in the upcoming election. The Central Election Commission had initially approved Yabloko’s candidate list in late July, but the Supreme Court’s ruling now overrides that decision.