Russia: Why is the Yabloko party barred from the elections?

On Monday, Russia's highest court ruled against the anti-war opposition party Yabloko, barring its candidates from the upcoming parliamentary election. The decision was made by Judge Vyacheslav Kirillov, the same judge who banned the Russian human rights organization Memorial in April and dismissed legal complaints against the Russian prison service filed by opposition politician Alexei Navalny.

The lawsuit against Yabloko was brought by the pro-Kremlin party Rodina, which accused the opposition party of copyright infringement and extremist activities. Yabloko's name, derived from the initials of its three founders Grigory Yavlinsky, Yury Boldyrev, and Vladimir Lukin, is known as a symbol of the party.

Supporters of Yabloko gathered outside the court in protest, distributing apples and singing songs. The leader of Yabloko, Nikolai Rybakov, vowed to appeal the verdict and emphasized that the party had not violated any Russian laws. He claimed that removing Yabloko from the election without proper grounds exposes the political system.

Opposition leaders living abroad, including Yulia Navalnaya and Lyubov Sobol, voiced their support for Yabloko. They argued that the party's election platform calling for peace, freedom, and a life without fear is under threat due to its strong showing in support of anti-war sentiment in Russia.

Political scientists have speculated that the decision to ban Yabloko may be a result of a power struggle within the Kremlin. Some suggest that the Kremlin initially intended to let Yabloko run but changed its mind after witnessing the strong support the party received. Others believe the decision was made to create the illusion of political rivalry and underplay the demand for an independent political force opposing the war in Ukraine.