11.08.2026 10:50
Yabloko, Russia's only registered political party opposing the war in Ukraine, will not be able to participate in next month's parliamentary elections due to a Moscow court ruling. The decision was made as a result of a lawsuit filed by the pro-Kremlin Rodina party.
Yabloko, Russia's only registered political party opposing the war in Ukraine, will not be able to participate in next month's parliamentary elections following a court decision in Moscow. The ruling came as a result of a lawsuit filed by the Kremlin-aligned Rodina party.
HUNDREDS GATHERED IN SUPPORT OF YABLOKO
On August 10, hundreds of people, mostly young, gathered in front of the Moscow courthouse where the hearing was held to show support for Yabloko. As the crowd sang songs and waved flags, some protesters chanted "Shame! Shame!" in Russian after the decision was announced.
Throughout the eight-hour hearing outside the courthouse, chants of "Russia" and "Yabloko," which means "apple" in Russian, were heard. Some supporters carried apples with them as a nod to the party.
TWO SEPARATE ALLEGATIONS FROM RODINA
In the lawsuit filed by the Kremlin-aligned Rodina party, Yabloko was accused of supporting a structure declared extremist by Russia by publishing content in favor of the "international LGBT movement" on its website.
Russia's Supreme Court had declared the "international LGBT movement" extremist in 2023.
Rodina also considered it a copyright violation that a senior Yabloko official quoted lyrics from the Soviet-era song "May There Always Be Sunshine" during an interview.
During the hearing, Russia's financial monitoring agency also alleged that Yabloko received financial support from foreign countries, including Germany and the USA, through third parties.
CANDIDATE LIST HAD BEEN APPROVED EARLIER
The Kremlin-controlled Central Election Commission had approved Yabloko's candidate list at the end of July. However, the candidacy of some party members had previously been blocked.
These names included two deputy chairpersons. Deputy Chairman Maxim Kruglov had been sentenced to seven years in prison in June for social media posts regarding civilian casualties in Bucha, Mariupol, and other Ukrainian cities.
Last week, Yabloko also announced that it had been subjected to a cyberattack after launching a donation appeal for its election campaign fund.
CAMPAIGN FOR "PEACE AND FREEDOM"
The party was running its election campaign under the slogan "For peace and freedom! For a life without fear!"
Yabloko called for a "ceasefire, diplomacy, and peace," advocating for a "Russia free from fear and political repression."
INCREASED PRESSURE ON OPPOSITION IN RUSSIA
It is noted that opposition elements remaining against the Kremlin have been largely eliminated since Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Censorship laws enacted during the war have largely prevented opposition rallies from taking place in public, and protests can result in heavy fines and long prison sentences.
Therefore, the hearing of the Yabloko case was one of the rare opportunities for Russians opposing the war to come together in public.
"For Yabloko. For freedom" was written in chalk on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse.
HAS NOT WON SEATS IN THE DUMA SINCE 2003
Yabloko has not won seats in the Russian State Duma since 2003. Despite this, the party has participated in all elections held since then.
The party, once led by presidential candidate Grigory Yavlinsky, has experienced various political splits over the years. In 2007, Yabloko expelled opposition politician Alexei Navalny from the party and continued its criticism of him after his imprisonment before his death in 2024.
Nevertheless, Yabloko has been one of the country's most consistent anti-war political movements, opposing Russia's war in Chechnya, the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and the invasion of Ukraine.
THE KREMLIN'S CALCULATIONS MAY HAVE CHANGED
While it is stated that public support for the ruling United Russia party has fallen to 33 percent due to reasons such as high inflation, internet outages, and drone attacks, support for Yabloko is said to have increased.
It was suggested that the Central Election Commission was initially inclined to allow Yabloko to participate in the election. In that case, the party's 1.34 percent vote share in the 2021 elections could have been used to show that the anti-war stance does not have broad social support in Russia.
However, with participation being blocked, it is assessed that the government may have changed its calculations. This is because there are signs that social discontent regarding the war in Ukraine is increasing.
OPPOSITION NOT BEING REPRESENTED AT THE BALLOT BOX MAY BENEFIT THE KREMLIN
The absence of a political force clearly representing the opposition on the ballot could lead to lower voter turnout. Especially if voters opposed to the ruling party do not go to the polls, this could provide an advantage for the Kremlin.
It is noted that all of the other 10 parties allowed to participate in the election either support the war in Ukraine or do not openly criticize it.
Although support for United Russia has declined, the Kremlin is still assessed to possess significant resources that could secure its desired outcome in the elections.
It is also stated that the capacity of independent election observers to monitor the election process and object to potential irregularities has been largely restricted.