Nikolai Rybakov, chairman of Russian opposition party Yabloko, fined 1,000 rubles for writing ‘For Peace’ on his ballot

On September 20, Nikolai Rybakov, chairman of the opposition party Yabloko, was fined 1,000 rubles by a St. Petersburg court for an administrative charge of petty hooliganism. The court cited Rybakov for deliberately spoiling his ballots with markings in green marker and placing them in the ballot box. The ballots contained phrases such as "Yabloko.

For Peace" and "Yabloko. For a Ceasefire Agreement." Rybakov, who voted in the presence of journalists, explained that his actions were not meant to show disrespect for society, but rather to express his long-held political stance. The court deemed Rybakov's behavior disregarded societal interests, ignored proper conduct, and violated public order by damaging someone else's property.

Despite the ruling, Rybakov stood by his decision, stating that the protest was a legitimate form of political expression. Yabloko was the sole party to campaign with anti-war slogans during the September 18-20 elections. The party's registration for the State Duma election had been overturned by Russia's Supreme Court in August.

In response, Yabloko urged supporters to spoil their ballots as a form of protest. Meduza, the news outlet covering this story, maintains transparency about its use of AI in the newsroom, with human journalists writing and editing the content before AI-assisted translation.