Russian Supreme Court bars anti-war opposition party Yabloko from Duma election

Russia’s Supreme Court has disqualified the liberal opposition party Yabloko from participating in the upcoming September parliamentary election.

Judge Vyacheslav Kirillov ruled in favour of a lawsuit brought by Alexey Zhuravlyov, a lawmaker from the pro-Kremlin nationalist party Rodina. The complaint, which received support from the prosecutor's office, alleged illegal campaign spending and statutory election law violations.

Yabloko, which actively opposes Russia’s war in Ukraine, announced plans to appeal the verdict. In the days preceding the court decision, the party’s symbol—an apple—emerged across Russian-language social media as a widespread emblem of opposition solidarity, gaining support from prominent regime critics.

Sources: Der Spiegel, Der Standard, FAZ, ORF, Tagesschau.