Russia's Supreme Court upholds ban on antiwar Yabloko party from Duma election
Russia's Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by the Yabloko party against its removal from the State Duma election ballot, with more than 85 people detained outside the court building.
Russia's Supreme Court on August 17 rejected an appeal filed by lawyers for the Yabloko party against a ruling that struck the party's federal list from the upcoming State Duma election, scheduled for September 20, 2026.
The original ruling was issued by the Supreme Court on August 10, in response to a lawsuit brought by the Rodina party. Rodina accused Yabloko of violating copyright law in its campaign materials and of receiving foreign funding.
On the day of the appeal hearing, police detained more than 85 people outside the Supreme Court building.
Yabloko is the only party in Russia running an explicitly antiwar campaign, using the slogan "For Peace and Freedom!"
Possible political origins of the decision
Sources close to Russia's Presidential Administration told Meduza back in the fall of 2025 that Yabloko was unlikely to be allowed onto the federal ballot while using that slogan. The Presidential Administration's political bloc had initially intended to run the Duma campaign under a "conservative scenario" involving only controlled participants.
Yabloko was initially registered for the election, but after its ratings began rising, the political bloc removed it in order to "manage the risks," according to the sources. Sources cited by journalist Mikhail Zygar say the decision to remove Yabloko from the ballot was made personally by Vladimir Putin.
