Russian Supreme Court Upholds Exclusion of Yabloko Party from Elections

The Russian Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by the Yabloko party to overturn its removal from the State Duma legislative elections. The court upheld a previous decision from August 10 that removed the party's federal list from the ballot. This action followed a lawsuit by the Rodina party, which alleged that Yabloko violated intellectual property laws during campaigning and received funds from individuals financed by foreign states. One source noted that the Federal Financial Monitoring Service estimated these foreign linked donations at 16,900 rubles.

Protests occurred outside the Supreme Court building on August 17 during the appeal hearing. Reports on the number of detainees vary. One source reported at least 35 people were detained, while another claimed more than 85 people were taken into custody, including 73 year old actor Viktor Balabanov. Kirill Goncharov, chairman of the party's Moscow branch, stated that people were detained without grounds. Some detainees were later released with warnings regarding unlawful actions.

While the federal list was removed, the exclusion did not apply to Yabloko's 131 candidates running in single mandate districts. Yabloko Chairman Nikolai Rybakov described the removal as unprecedented in Russian history for a registered party and stated that the party would return for the September 2026 elections.

Interpretations of the event differ by political perspective. Center left sources emphasize the legal irregularities of the court's refusal to admit evidence and the subsequent police pressure on supporters. Center sources frame the event as a symptom of internal power struggles between the security services and the presidential administration. Center right coverage focuses primarily on the legal outcome of the court's rejection.