Russian Supreme Court Bars Yabloko from Parliamentary Elections

The ruling followed a lawsuit filed by the pro-Kremlin Rodina party, which alleged that Yabloko violated campaign finance laws by accepting undisclosed foreign funding. Nikolai Rybakov, the leader of the party, dismissed the charges as a pretext for an unconstitutional crackdown on political expression. The exclusion of the party leaves the ballot dominated by factions aligned with the Kremlin, further insulating the current administration from organized electoral opposition. For many young voters who turned out in a show of defiance, the court's decision marks the end of a long-standing, albeit increasingly difficult, avenue for legal political participation in Russia.