Court Keeps Yabloko off Russia’s Election Ballot

On Monday, the Russian Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the anti-war party Yabloko against last week’s ruling barring it from participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Those elections are scheduled to take place next month.

The court imposed the ban a week ago, effectively sidelining the only registered political party calling for an end to the war in Ukraine.

The lawsuit against Yabloko was filed by Rodina, a small pro-Kremlin nationalist party.

The leader of Rodina accused Yabloko of being a Western-backed movement seeking to undermine both the electoral process and Russia itself. Yabloko rejects this and claims that it speaks on behalf of millions of Russians and is working to end the war.

Furthermore, Lev Shlosberg, vice chairman of the Russian liberal party Yabloko, was sentenced on Monday to 11 years and one month in prison for criticizing the war in Ukraine. A court in Pskov found him guilty of discrediting the army and spreading false information.

(Reuters, Max)