Russia removes anti-war party from elections

The Supreme Court of Russia has canceled the registration of the federal list of the Yabloko party for the State Duma elections scheduled for September 20, 2026. The decision was made on August 10 following a lawsuit by the Rodina party.

Thus, Yabloko has lost the opportunity to participate in elections on the federal party list. The party remained the only registered political force in Russia that openly called for an end to the war against Ukraine and a negotiated settlement. The party itself formulated its position as demanding a ceasefire agreement, diplomacy, and achieving peace.

Yabloko's pre-election congress at the end of June nominated 275 candidates on the federal list and another 137 candidates in single-mandate constituencies. Russia's Central Election Commission certified both lists on July 10, confirming compliance with nomination procedures and allowing the party to proceed to the next stage of the campaign.

The lawsuit demanding the list's registration be canceled was filed by the Rodina party. Among the plaintiff's claims were alleged violations of pre-election campaigning rules and legislation on the use of materials during the campaign. Yabloko representatives disagreed with the accusations.

The decision came against the backdrop of a series of restrictions on candidates and regional party lists. In July, the Supreme Court of Karelia, following a lawsuit by the regional branch of Rodina, had already canceled the registration of Yabloko's list for the republican legislative assembly elections. In St. Petersburg, the electoral commission also denied the party registration of its regional election list, citing financial document formalities.

Moreover, several prominent Yabloko representatives lost the opportunity to run for office after administrative cases regarding so-called demonstration of extremist symbols. In particular, party chairman Nikolai Rybakov received such a penalty due to a publication offering condolences after the death of Alexei Navalny. The Russian Supreme Court upheld this decision at the end of July.

In its election program, Yabloko advocated for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, a diplomatic settlement, an end to political repression, and the prevention of nuclear war. The party stated that it views election participation as a legal way to promote an anti-war position within Russia.

According to: Astra, Yabloko party