Yabloko Files Appeal Against Russian Supreme Court's Duma Election Ban

The liberal Yabloko party submitted an appeal to Russia's Supreme Court on Friday, challenging the ruling that stripped its federal candidate slate from the upcoming State Duma elections. The Supreme Court accepted the case and scheduled a hearing for Monday, August 17, at 10 a.m. Moscow time.

After filing the appeal, Yabloko chairman Nikolai Rybakov told reporters outside the courthouse: "We'll prove that the truth is on our side and on the side of the people who support us." He added that the party's lawyers had demonstrated "beyond any doubt that there was not the slightest basis for any claim to remove Yabloko" and vowed that "Yabloko will be on the ballot."

Last week, the Supreme Court disqualified Yabloko from the September parliamentary elections, citing copyright violations during campaign activity and alleged breaches of campaign finance laws, including accepting funding from abroad. The ruling removed Russia's oldest liberal party — and the only registered party running on a pro-peace platform — from the nationwide party-list ballot. Yabloko was given five days to appeal the decision.

Rybakov also confirmed plans to sue Rodina, the small nationalist party that had brought the original lawsuit, for defamation. Rodina's suit had accused Yabloko of "extremism," receiving foreign funding, and copyright infringement.

Rodina filed its own appeal on Friday, arguing that the Supreme Court erred by failing to uphold all of its claims against Yabloko in full. The court will consider both appeals concurrently on Monday.

On Friday, there was a heavy police presence outside the courthouse. According to RusNews, at least 10 Yabloko supporters were placed into police vans, with at least three formally detained. Sotavision reported that plainclothes anti-extremism officers were seen following Yabloko party leaders on the Moscow metro after the filing.