Supreme Court bars last anti-war party from Russian election

The Story in Brief

Russia’s Supreme Court on Monday ordered Yabloko, the only registered party opposing the Kremlin’s military action in Ukraine, to be removed from the ballot for next month’s parliamentary election. The court annulled Yabloko’s registration after an appeal by the pro-Kremlin Motherland Party, which accused it of copyright infringement, exceeding campaign spending limits, and an unlawful stance on Ukraine. The Central Election Commission had initially allowed Yabloko to contest alongside 10 other parties.

Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov rejected the accusations in court. The New Indian Express reports that Yabloko’s anti-war campaign unexpectedly gained traction on social media, with citizens posting videos of themselves holding apples, the party’s symbol, when asked their voting preference. Veteran liberal Grigory Yavlinsky called the ruling a refusal to hear the public demand for peace, and said the party would appeal. Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Alexei Navalny, had publicly urged voters to back Yabloko.