Russia maintains election ban on opposition Yabloko, jails deputy head
Al Jazeera
β’Mon, 17 Aug 2026 18:46:12 +0000
π° What Happened
Russia's top court rejected an appeal by the anti-war Yabloko party against a ruling banning it from taking part in upcoming elections, while another court jailed its deputy leader Lev Shlosberg for 11 years over his opposition to the war. The opposition party confirmed on Monday that its appeal had failed. Opposition activists said the ban reflects the increasing erosion of Russia's democracy and an attempt to silence opposition to the war in Ukraine.
π The Backstory
The ban removes Yabloko, which had become the only registered political party openly opposing the war, from participation in September's parliamentary elections, leaving anti-war voters without a prominent registered electoral option. Shlosberg's separate sentence was handed down as the party's court appeal was being decided. Critics have long cautioned that the Kremlin was consolidating control ahead of the vote by restricting who could stand.
π― Why It Matters
The removal of the last war-opposing registered party significantly narrows the range of political competition in Russia's upcoming parliamentary election. It signals that the Kremlin is tightening control over what remains of multi-party politics during the war. The decision casts a shadow over the integrity of the vote and the prospects for a meaningful democratic contest.
Russia's top court rejected an appeal by the anti-war Yabloko party against a ruling banning it from taking part in upcoming elections, while another court jailed its deputy leader Lev Shlosberg for 11 years over his opposition to the war. The opposition party confirmed on Monday that its appeal had failed. Opposition activists said the ban reflects the increasing erosion of Russia's democracy and an attempt to silence opposition to the war in Ukraine.
The ban removes Yabloko, which had become the only registered political party openly opposing the war, from participation in September's parliamentary elections, leaving anti-war voters without a prominent registered electoral option. Shlosberg's separate sentence was handed down as the party's court appeal was being decided. Critics have long cautioned that the Kremlin was consolidating control ahead of the vote by restricting who could stand.
The removal of the last war-opposing registered party significantly narrows the range of political competition in Russia's upcoming parliamentary election. It signals that the Kremlin is tightening control over what remains of multi-party politics during the war. The decision casts a shadow over the integrity of the vote and the prospects for a meaningful democratic contest.