Why is Russia's Yabloko party barred from upcoming election?
Russia's highest court has banned anti-war opposition party Yabloko from September's parliamentary election. What does this mean for the election campaign, opponents of the war and for the political mood in the country?
The highest court in Russia has ruled that the anti-war opposition party Yabloko will be barred from the upcoming parliamentary election, set to take place from September 18 to 20. Yabloko's candidates will be ineligible to participate in the vote following a lawsuit brought by the pro-Kremlin party Rodina, which claimed that Yabloko had infringed copyright with its campaign materials and engaged in extremist activities and illegal financing from abroad.
The verdict was delivered by presiding judge Vyacheslav Kirillov, who has previously banned the Russian human rights organization Memorial and deemed it an extremist group. On the day of the decision, supporters of Yabloko gathered outside the court, holding apples and singing songs, as the name Yabloko translates to "apple" in English.
Yabloko's leader, Nikolai Rybakov, vowed to appeal the decision, stating that his party had not violated any Russian laws. Critics of the ruling argue that Yabloko's election ban is a political move designed to suppress political dissent and hide the extent of anti-war sentiment in Russia.
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