Russian court bars only anti-war party from standing in parliamentary elections

Key Points:

• A Moscow court ruled that Yabloko, Russia's only liberal, anti-war party, will be barred from participating in next month's parliamentary elections, sparking protests from mostly young supporters outside the courthouse.
• The Rodina party accused Yabloko of supporting an extremist organization by promoting the "international LGBT movement," which Russia's Supreme Court labeled extremist in 2023, and also alleged copyright infringement over a Soviet-era song lyric.
• Russia's financial monitoring service claimed Yabloko received foreign funding through third parties from countries including Germany and the US, while several Yabloko members, including deputy leader Maxim Kruglov, were already barred from running or imprisoned.
• Yabloko has been a consistent anti-war voice opposing Russia's military actions in Chechnya, Crimea, and Ukraine, campaigning for peace and political freedom, but the Kremlin appears to be suppressing dissent as signs of growing opposition to the war emerge.
• Without Yabloko on the ballot, the upcoming election is expected to see lower turnout among anti-government voters, potentially benefiting the Kremlin, as all other participating parties either support or do not openly criticize the war in Ukraine.