Overview
- The Russian Supreme Court annulled Yabloko’s federal list in mid-August, removing the party from the ballot for the 18–20 September legislative elections.
- The Central Electoral Commission had validated Yabloko’s list weeks earlier, making the court action a reversal of that approval.
- Officially, the court cited a copyright violation for the annulment, a legal pretext that reporters say was used to justify the exclusion.
- The United Nations said it was deeply concerned about the decision, and international coverage framed it as part of a pattern of narrowing political debate in Russia.
- Analysts say Moscow fears growing war-weariness could coalesce around Yabloko’s anti-war message and turn modest support into a broader political challenge.