Yabloko chairman Yavlinsky says barring the party from Russia’s parliamentary race means the Kremlin admits its fear

Source: Grigory Yavlinsky

Grigory Yavlinsky, chairman of Yabloko’s federal political committee, said that the Supreme Court’s decision to remove the party from the election shows the authorities are scared. The party had been campaigning for the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, on antiwar slogans.

Yavlinsky said Yabloko ran on the platform “For Peace and Freedom!” Its members support a ceasefire, diplomacy, and peace, and oppose nuclear war and political repression.

According to Yavlinsky, people across the political spectrum supported the party precisely because it has “a very simple, short, and absolutely clear platform.”

Removing a party with a platform like this from the election, without any real grounds, is the political system exposing itself. This decision speaks to the importance of our platform far more than any official election results. The demand for peace and freedom has clearly turned out to be far stronger than the authorities expected. […]

Barring Yabloko from the election means refusing to engage in dialogue with people who ask questions the authorities find uncomfortable. This isn’t so much about Yabloko’s candidates as about those who support them, or might do so. …

The authorities are scared, or they don’t understand any of this, and they’re removing Yabloko from the election.

Yabloko was the only party on the initial ballot to support ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Yabloko’s removal was demanded by the Rodina party, whose representatives filed the corresponding lawsuit with the Supreme Court. Rodina accused its rival of violating copyright and using “extremist” slogans in its campaign.

On August 10, the Supreme Court sided with Rodina and removed Yabloko from the ballot. Yabloko plans to appeal the ruling.

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Yabloko chairman Yavlinsky says barring the party from Russia’s parliamentary race means the Kremlin admits its fear

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Yabloko chairman Yavlinsky says barring the party from Russia’s parliamentary race means the Kremlin admits its fear

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