Full story
Court bars Yabloko
Russia’s Supreme Court barred the Yabloko party from participating in the September State Duma election after a hearing that lasted about seven hours, with the Rodina party’s suit focusing on alleged copyright violations, excessive campaign spending, and “extremist statements.”
“The hearing lasted about seven hours.”
The court’s decision came after Rodina argued that a photograph of the Hiroshima bombing on Yabloko’s website violated the copyright of the U.S. Army, and that images generated with ChatGPT violated the rights of its developer, OpenAI.
Yabloko’s antiwar campaign centered on the slogan “For Peace and Freedom,” and the party’s chairman Nikolai Rybakov quoted Vladimir Putin in court to argue that Yabloko’s position did not contradict the president’s words.
In a statement after the verdict, Yavlinsky said, “This is not about the fate of Yabloko. This is about the fate of Russia,” as the Supreme Court sided with petitioners’ arguments to remove the party from the ballot.
The decision followed an earlier registration by the Kremlin-controlled Central Election Commission for the September 18-20 Duma vote, before the Supreme Court acted on August 10.
Protests and quotes
Ahead of the hearing, dozens of Yabloko supporters gathered outside the Supreme Court, and the party’s press office said at least 500 were waiting in line to be allowed in for the proceedings.
During the protests, police vans arrived outside the courthouse, and at least two young women carrying Yabloko leaflets were taken away “for a conversation” by OMON riot police.
Yabloko chairman Nikolai Rybakov told the court that he wanted to draw attention to a quote from President Putin, saying, “So yes, the factual situation is that the Yabloko party believes negotiations are needed.”
After the verdict, Kirill Goncharov, head of the party’s Moscow chapter, told The New York Times, “We were aware that the more popular we were getting, the more trouble we’re creating for the Kremlin,” linking the ban to the party’s growing support.
The New York Times reported that unless Yabloko’s appeal is upheld within the next five days, it will not be able to run in the elections.
What’s at stake next
The ban leaves Russia’s September parliamentary election without any party on the ballot openly defending an end to the war against Ukraine, after the Supreme Court annulled Yabloko’s electoral registration following a lawsuit filed by Rodina.
“The only party in Russia that calls for peace in Ukraine will not be able to participate in next month’s parliamentary elections.”
El Mundo described the exclusion as coming after alleged infringements including an image generated with ChatGPT, “some doves,” a photograph of Hiroshima, and the phrase “may there always be sun,” while Rodina’s case also cited other campaign materials.
Yabloko’s defense and supporters framed the dispute as politically motivated, with the party’s campaign built around “For peace and freedom,” and with the decision still subject to appeal.
The stakes extend beyond the ballot itself, because France 24 reported Zelenskiy’s warning that Russia would use the upcoming parliamentary elections next month as a pretext to announce a new military mobilization.
France 24 added that Zelenskiy said Russia intends “to prepare to mobilize in the autumn, immediately after the sham parliamentary elections,” and that the plan includes a “rapid additional mobilization of hundreds of thousands of Russians by the end of the year.”
