Russia Attempts to Disqualify Antiwar Yabloko Party from Elections

A Russian court is hearing an administrative lawsuit seeking to bar the Yabloko party from the State Duma elections — the opposition movement stands accused of receiving foreign funding for its campaign. Party chairman Nikolai Rybakov categorically denied the allegations in court.

According to the party's Telegram channel, Rybakov's testimony focused mainly on the campaign's financing, around which, he said, the prosecutor is trying to construct the appearance of a "conspiracy." Yabloko points out that at the start of the campaign, its account balance stood at exactly zero rubles.

Only Citizens' Donations

"We have no state funding for this campaign, nor any support from oligarch structures. The only thing we rely on is support from citizens who fund our campaign through their donations," Rybakov said. According to him, every ruble spent on the campaign's electoral account and used to produce lawful campaign materials comes from donations by Russian citizens.

Rybakov stressed that all transactions undergo strict oversight and that the party reports on them both to citizens and to the Central Election Commission. He also mentioned the QR code on the party's campaign leaflets, which had caught the prosecutor's attention — according to the chairman, the code leads exclusively to the official page for collecting donations from Russians. "I understand this looks like a miracle to the prosecutor," he remarked wryly.

"Absurd" Accusations and a Slogan About Peace

According to the outlet Meduza, Rybakov later added that the prosecutor went so far as to claim that the slogan "For Peace and Change" insults the dignity of those who vote for other parties. The Rodina party — often described as ultra-right and populist — is also expected to weigh in during the hearing, as it was the one that filed the petition to have Yabloko removed from the ballot.

The Election as a "Referendum" Against the War

Yabloko (full name: the Russian United Democratic Party "Yabloko") is a moderately liberal Russian political party founded in 1993. From the outset, it has openly opposed Russia's war in Ukraine. Analysts believe the party has very little chance of winning seats in the State Duma for the first time since 2003. Nevertheless, the party and its supporters describe the upcoming election as "a referendum that will show the authorities that millions of Russians are against the war."

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Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz