United Russia mayor forces Yabloko party candidate to take down banner reading ‘For peace and freedom’

Pavel Kharitonenko, a candidate for the Yabloko party in the upcoming State Duma election, reported that the mayor of Baikalsk, Vasily Temgenevsky, had been obstructing his campaign efforts. Kharitonenko alleged that his initial campaign banner, displaying the message "For Peace and Freedom," was removed from a local market in Baikalsk at the mayor's behest.

The banner had been displayed at the market since August 11. Kharitonenko explained that Temgenevsky had contacted local business owners, demanding they take down the poster. Kharitonenko insisted that the poster was official campaign material, having been notified to the election commission and paid for from his campaign funds, making it legally permissible.

Despite Kharitonenko being one of the three Yabloko candidates running for single-seat seats in the Irkutsk region, the party's federal list was removed from the election by Russia's Supreme Court. Nationwide, there are 126 Yabloko candidates competing for single-seat seats. The State Duma elections in Russia are scheduled for September 20, 2026, as the country's sole election day.

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