Russia Bans Only Anti-War Party Before Elections

(MOSCOW) – Russia’s Supreme Court has removed the Yabloko party, the country’s only registered anti-war political party, from September’s parliamentary election ballot just five days after it was approved and assigned a place on the ballot.

The court cited alleged copyright violations during campaign activity as grounds for disqualification. Election authorities and state prosecutors claim campaign materials linked to Yabloko’s website used protected intellectual property without acquiring proper rights or permissions. The materials reportedly included song lyrics, film footage, photographs and images generated by ChatGPT.

Yabloko had emerged as a rallying point connecting anti-war Russians inside the country with opposition leaders living in exile. The party’s platform called for a ceasefire and an end to the war in Ukraine.

The Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has also signed what Human Rights Watch describes as a “civic death” law targeting Russian critics abroad. The legislation can restrict property rights, freeze assets, block bank access, revoke driving privileges, deny passports and consular services, and make it nearly impossible for targeted Russians to conduct legal business inside their own country.

Analysts note the developments reveal a broader pattern of the Russian dictator attempting to erase organised opposition wherever it exists, inside Russia, outside Russia and at the ballot box.

Small groups of young Russians gathered near the courthouse to protest the Yabloko decision. Police arrived and began threatening demonstrators. Protesting or holding individual political views not sanctioned by the Kremlin remains a criminal offence in Russia.

The disqualification comes as Russia prepares for State Duma elections on 21 September. The Yabloko party, while critical of the war, was widely considered a token opposition party operating within Russia’s tightly controlled political system. All elections in Russia are widely regarded as rigged.

The decision also follows reports that Russia plans a mass military draft after the elections and again in 2027, with the Kremlin unable to replace its losses in Ukraine through voluntary recruitment alone.