Russia's Supreme Court bars only 'pro-peace' party from parliamentary elections

Russia's Supreme Court has ruled that the pro-peace party Yabloko is ineligible to participate in the country's upcoming parliamentary elections, citing alleged violations of campaigning rules. This decision was announced on August 10, following Yabloko's registration by the Central Election Commission just weeks prior, which allowed the party to run in the election.

The case was initiated by the nationalist and pro-Kremlin Rodina party, which registered numerous violations, particularly concerning campaign financing. Rodina leader Alexei Zhuravlev claimed Yabloko used banned social media advertisements and copied Soviet songs. The decision removes the only remaining liberal political group from the election, which Yabloko had promoted as a platform advocating for peace, diplomacy, and the end to the war against Ukraine.

The party had published a short campaign platform emphasizing "peace and freedom" and "a ceasefire agreement, diplomacy, and the achievement of peace." Despite this setback, opposition figures like Navalnaya urged voters to support Yabloko, viewing the election as their only legitimate opportunity to oppose the government. Yabloko has faced significant pressure, with regional members facing fines for using what Russian authorities deem extremist symbols, such as photographs of Navalny.

Although Yabloko has not always been under Kremlin control, its ability to operate has been severely limited under President Vladimir Putin's regime. The party previously entered the State Duma in 1993, 1995, and 1999 but has failed to meet the 5% electoral threshold in federal elections since 2003, with independent pollsters assessing a small chance of crossing the threshold in September.