Reversal: Supreme Court Bars Yabloko From Duma Elections

On August 10, Russia’s Supreme Court barred Yabloko from September’s State Duma elections, granting a lawsuit from the Rodina party. The removal came after the party had been registered to run, and the decision cited alleged violations including copyright breaches, campaign material spreading on blocked or restricted platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, and donations routed through Russians who had received funds from abroad.

The eight-hour hearing dwelled on specific images and songs, from the Soviet children’s song Let There Always Be Sunshine to a U.S. Army photo of Hiroshima and a Suprematist-era print echoed in Yabloko’s logo. Yabloko argued the materials were attributed, in the public domain, or not campaign content, rejected all accusations, and said it will appeal.

About 500 supporters, many of them students, gathered outside the court and handed out apples as the party pressed its anti-war message, For Peace and Freedom. The ruling removes the only party campaigning under an anti-war slogan from the national ballot.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources