Russia's Supreme Court on Monday overturned the registration of the opposition Yabloko party for the country's parliamentary elections, scheduled for September. The decision sidelines the only officially registered party that openly opposes Moscow's war in Ukraine, a move that many observers see as the final step in a carefully choreographed exclusion.
The ruling came after the pro-Kremlin nationalist Rodina party filed a lawsuit on Friday seeking to remove Yabloko from the ballot. The Central Election Commission had unanimously approved Yabloko's registration on 29 July, making the Supreme Court's reversal all the more striking.
Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov reacted with indignation, insisting that "there are no grounds at all for removing the party from the elections." He noted that "all the documents had been checked by the Central Election Commission, and the decision to allow us to run was taken unanimously." Rybakov also pointed out that Russia's Justice Ministry had repeatedly investigated the party for various violations but found nothing illegal.
Rodina's leader, State Duma deputy Alexei Zhuravlyov, countered that "lawyers have found numerous violations" in Yabloko's campaign. He alleged "foreign funding that does not go through the account" and "extensive activity on banned social networks, which is financed from the West." Rodina also accused Yabloko of "extremism," citing the party's call for peace, and of supporting the "international LGBT movement," which is illegal under Russian law.
Other Russian party leaders joined the chorus of accusations. Gennady Zyuganov, head of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), blamed Yabloko for not supporting "the policy of strengthening Russian statehood" and for "never once condemning the actions" of the Ukrainian authorities. Leonid Slutsky of the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) called for Yabloko to be designated an undesirable organisation because of its proposal to enter into peace talks with Kyiv. Sergei Mironov, leader of the left-wing nationalist A Just Russia party, urged the Justice Ministry and the Prosecutor General's Office to "take a close look at Yabloko" because the party "opposes the (war in Ukraine)," "promises to conclude a peace that would disgrace the country," and "supports foreign agents."
A spoiler or a safety valve?
Yabloko, a social-liberal party running under the slogan "For peace and freedom," has long championed anti-nationalism and urgent political reforms. Its election programme, a mere 43 words, calls for "a ceasefire agreement, diplomacy, and the achievement of peace."
The initial approval of such a party came as a surprise to many, prompting speculation that it was a Kremlin-orchestrated manoeuvre. Investigative outlet Important Stories quoted a source close to the Central Election Commission suggesting that the authorities needed a channel for citizens to "vent" their discontent. "Better into Yabloko than into spoiling ballot papers or voting for the Communist Party," the source said.
Political analyst Ivan Preobrazhensky told Radio Liberty that "Yabloko was registered according to a plan by the presidential administration. After the elections, the party's low official result can be presented as the share of Russians who oppose the war."
Another widely circulated theory is that Yabloko was allowed in to siphon votes from the increasingly popular New People party. Alexander Kynev, a specialist in Russia's regional political processes, wrote on social media: "Yabloko has been let into the elections to take down 'New People'." The nominally centrist New People party has itself been accused of being a Kremlin-sanctioned outlet for protest votes.
The Supreme Court's decision effectively removes any meaningful anti-war voice from the parliamentary campaign. With Yabloko barred, Russian voters face a choice among parties that uniformly back the Kremlin's war effort, a situation that underscores the narrowing of political space ahead of the September vote.
For European observers, the episode is a stark reminder of the constraints on political pluralism in Russia. As the war in Ukraine continues, the Kremlin appears determined to ensure that no opposition voice can use the electoral platform to challenge its policies. The move also comes amid heightened security concerns across the continent, with Swedish security services disrupting a Russian influence operation and Kyiv's drone chief warning of massive missile salvos.
