Russia: Why is the Yabloko party barred from the elections?
Russia's supreme court has banned the anti-war opposition party Yabloko from September's parliamentary elections. What does this mean for the election campaign, opponents of the war and for the political mood in Russia?
On Monday, Russia's supreme court ruled that the anti-war opposition party Yabloko will be barred from the parliamentary elections slated for September 18 to 20. The decision was made after a lawsuit filed by the pro-Kremlin party Rodina, which accused Yabloko of infringing copyright with its campaign materials and engaging in extremist activities, as well as receiving illegal funding from abroad.
The ruling was handed down by Judge Vyacheslav Kirillov, who had previously banned the Russian human rights organization Memorial and designated it as extremist.
Yabloko's name, derived from the names of its founders Grigory Yavlinsky, Yury Boldyrev, and Vladimir Lukin, has become a symbol of the party. At the court, at least 500 supporters gathered outside to show their backing for the party, distributing apples and singing songs. Yabloko's leader, Nikolai Rybakov, refused to accept the verdict, stating that the party had not violated any Russian laws and announcing his intention to appeal the decision.
The lawsuit against Yabloko came amid an appeal for support from Russian opposition and cultural figures living abroad, including Navalnaya, Sobol, Yashin, and Pivovarov. Navalnaya, who leads the Anti-Corruption Foundation, accused the Kremlin of attempting to suppress the growing anti-war sentiment among Russians. She claimed that Yabloko had not been supported because supporters were beginning to unite, expressing their opposition to the war in Ukraine.
Political analysts speculated on the reasons behind the court's decision. Some suggested that it was a result of a power struggle within the Kremlin, potentially involving the security bloc allied with the FSB and Sergey Kiriyenko, the first deputy chief of staff of the presidential administration. Others believed the Kremlin may have initially allowed Yabloko to participate in the election but later changed its mind due to the party's significant support.
Regardless, the ban on Yabloko makes it more difficult for independent election monitoring, as the party is no longer permitted to send representatives to monitor polling stations.
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