Russia's liberal party Yabloko is facing possible exclusion from the parliamentary elections.

Moscow. Russia's Supreme Court in Moscow is set to hear today about a possible exclusion of the liberal opposition party Yabloko from the parliamentary election in September. Hundreds of people gathered outside the building in Moscow in the morning, queuing up to get into the courtroom. The courtroom is designed for 150 people, the party announced, which also published a video of the rush.

Yabloko criticizes Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but was unexpectedly allowed to participate in the Duma election by the election authorities. The chairman, Nikolai Rybakov, who is not allowed to stand in the election himself, will participate in the hearing on behalf of the party. The right-wing party Rodina, which is loyal to the Kremlin, is suing for exclusion from the election.

They accuse Yabloko of numerous violations of the law, including copyright infringement in campaign materials and opaque financing. Other Kremlin-loyal parties had also called for exclusion from the vote in September. Several Duma deputies who support Russia's invasion of Ukraine insulted Yabloko members as traitors and agents of the West.

Criticism is particularly focused on the fact that not a single war participant is on Yabloko's election list. Recently, Kremlin opponents who are persecuted as extremists and terrorists in Russia and are in exile abroad called for the party to be voted for. This was met with criticism within Yabloko's ranks, as they feared it would provide additional "argumentative fuel" for Kremlin-loyal forces and jeopardize the party's election eligibility. The nationwide parliamentary election and local elections are scheduled for September 18-20.