Why is Russia's Yabloko party barred from upcoming election?

On Monday, Russia's highest court upheld a lawsuit against the anti-war opposition party Yabloko. Its candidates will now be barred from taking part in the parliamentary election from September 18 to 20.

The case against Yabloko was brought by the pro-Kremlin party Rodina, which accused it of infringing copyright with its election campaign materials. Rodina also made the claim that Yabloko had engaged in extremist activities and had received illegal financing from abroad.

The verdict was pronounced by presiding judge Vyacheslav Kirillov. This was the same judge who, in April, banned the Russian human rights organization Memorial and designated it an extremist organization. Kirillov also previously dismissed legal complaints against the Russian prison service filed by the prominent opposition politician Alexei Navalny . Navalny spent many years in Russian prisons prior to his death in jail in 2024.

At least 500 people gathered in front of the court to show their support for Yabloko, distributing apples and sang songs. The name Yabloko — "apple" in English — derives from the initials of the party's three founders, Grigory Yavlinsky, Yury Boldyrev and Vladimir Lukin (YaBL). The apple is now well-known as a symbol of the party.

At the end of the nine-hour court session, security services threatened the people gathered outside the courthouse with arrest, also warning young men that they could be taken to an army enlistment office.

"You are mistaken if you believe that, with a stroke of a pen, you can write off millions of people who want peace, freedom and a normal future for their country," Nikolai Rybakov, the leader of Yabloko, wrote on Telegram that evening.

He insisted that the party had not broken any Russian laws, and announced he would appeal the judgement.

Yavlinsky, one of Yabloko's founders, said those in power were afraid of Yabloko's program, which calls for an election "for peace, freedom and a life without fear" — because, he said, "removing a party with a platform like this from the election, without any real grounds, is the political system exposing itself."