Russia’s Central Election Commission registers anti-war Yabloko party for State Duma elections

The Central Election Commission has registered Yabloko’s party list for the election to the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, scheduled for September 18–20.

Central Election Commission Chair Ella Pamfilova told the meeting, “There’s one side, and then there’s the other side, we treat everyone equally, and it’s up to voters to decide,” remarks quoted by journalist Farida Rustamova, author of the independent Russian political newsletter Faridaily.

Yabloko stated that its federal list currently includes 269 candidates, with another 135 running in single-mandate districts. The full lists will soon be published on the party’s website.

Rustamova said the decision means, for now, “the only officially registered party in Russia that directly opposes the war will appear on the ballot.” She added that over the past four years, Yabloko has campaigned under the slogan “For Peace and Freedom.”

The Russian Telegram news channel Ostorozhno Novosti reported that during the party’s presentation to the Central Election Commission, State Duma deputy and Rodina party leader Alexey Zhuravlev accused Yabloko of having no candidates who had ever traveled to the ”SVO” zone. Yabloko Chair Nikolai Rybakov responded that the party advocates for a ceasefire, asking, “Are you suggesting we send everyone to the front?”

Yabloko continues to face obstacles in the regions ahead of the election. St. Petersburg’s election commission refused to register the party’s candidates for the city’s legislative assembly race, and the Central Election Commission stated it is “thoroughly reviewing” the matter as part of a complaint Yabloko filed. Election officials in Petrozavodsk also denied Yabloko registration, and several of the party’s public representatives — including Chair Nikolai Rybakov — were punished under an administrative statute for displaying “extremist symbols,” a violation that by law bars candidates from running in elections.

The day before, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told The Washington Post he would not call Yabloko a party, saying it is “nothing more than a cell.”

Sources told Meduza that Russian authorities have stepped up pressure on Yabloko ahead of the election, trying to force the party to withdraw or at least keep well-known figures off its candidate list.