Russian Court Bars Opposition Party Yabloko from September Duma Ballot

Russia's Supreme Court upheld a decision to strike the liberal Yabloko party from the ballot for the September 18-20 State Duma elections. The ruling, confirmed on August 10, followed a challenge by the pro-government Rodina party that alleged extremist and procedural violations in Yabloko's campaign materials.

Yabloko, which has opposed the annexation of Crimea and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, had previously secured registration from the Central Election Commission but faced disqualification of several candidates on charges such as posting "extremist imagery" and alleged copyright infringements. The party's appeal was rejected after a closed hearing with limited public access.

The move coincided with the sentencing of former regional assembly member Lev Shlosberg, a Yabloko activist, to eleven years in prison on charges of spreading false information about the Russian army. Other party members have also faced similar prosecutions.

Analysts note that the Kremlin's handling of Yabloko may reflect internal disagreements over how to manage anti-war sentiment ahead of the vote. Some observers argue the brief registration was intended to demonstrate the marginality of opposition support, while others see the subsequent ban as a response to growing public interest, with unofficial polls indicating a rise in Yabloko's popularity among younger voters.

"There are no elections in Russia—it’s a scam, the house always wins. But if we got six weeks of a legal antiwar campaign in Russia, that could have gotten a lot of traction," former Duma member Dmitry Gudkov told Radio Liberty.

Opposition activists, including members of Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Fund, have urged voters to support Yabloko as the sole anti-war option on the ballot. The episode has been described by some exiled critics as evidence of the regime's vulnerability, while others view it as a calculated display of authoritarian control.