Russia’s Supreme Court Removes Anti-War Party Yabloko From Election Ballot

Russia’s Supreme Court on Monday struck down the registration of Yabloko, the only registered political party that openly opposes the Kremlin’s military campaign in Ukraine, barring it from participating in next month’s parliamentary elections.

The ruling came after a pro-Kremlin party filed an appeal against the Central Election Commission’s earlier decision to allow Yabloko on the ballot alongside ten other parties.

Yabloko, whose name means “apple” in Russian, was once a prominent liberal voice in parliament and frequently criticized the government. Over time, it lost its parliamentary seats as the Kremlin tightened its control over the political landscape.

In recent years, Yabloko stood out as the sole registered opposition party to publicly oppose sending Russian troops into Ukraine. Its campaign slogans included calls for a ceasefire, diplomacy, and peace, as well as warnings against nuclear war and appeals for a Russia free from fear and political repression.

Several exiled opposition figures, including Yulia Navalnaya, widow of the late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, and politicians Ilya Yashin and Vladimir Kara-Murza, had urged voters to support Yabloko in the upcoming election.