Russia's Supreme Court upheld a ban on the Yabloko party's participation in State Duma elections on Monday [4].
The ruling removes one of the few remaining anti-war political entities from the electoral process, further narrowing the space for legal political opposition within the country.
During the proceedings in central Moscow, the court sentenced Yabloko deputy chairman Lev Shlosberg to 11 years and one month in a penal colony [3]. The court's decision to bar the party follows allegations that Yabloko discredited the war and called for a ceasefire [2].
Police detained at least 60 people [1] who had gathered outside the Supreme Court to protest the ruling. Other reports described the number of detainees as dozens [2] as security forces cleared the area surrounding the judicial building.
The Yabloko party has positioned itself as a primary voice against the conflict in Ukraine. By upholding the ban, the court ensures the party cannot field candidates for the upcoming legislative elections.
Shlosberg's sentence marks one of the more severe penalties handed to a political figure for opposing the war. The ruling effectively silences the party's leadership and restricts its ability to organize supporters legally, a move that coincides with broader crackdowns on dissent.
“The court sentenced Yabloko deputy chairman Lev Shlosberg to 11 years and one month in a penal colony.”
The upholding of the Yabloko ban signifies a transition from managing political opposition to systematically eliminating it from the ballot. By combining an electoral ban with a decade-long prison sentence for a high-ranking official, the Russian judiciary is signaling that anti-war advocacy is now treated as a criminal offense rather than a political stance, effectively criminalizing the platform of the country's last remaining anti-war party.
