Russia’s Supreme Court in Moscow is set to hear a case on Tuesday that could exclude the liberal opposition party Jabloko from the parliamentary election in September. Hundreds of people gathered outside the building in the morning, queuing to get into the courtroom. The hall has been expanded to seat 150 people, the party said, releasing a video of the crowd.
Jabloko has criticized Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine but was unexpectedly approved by the election commission to run in the Duma election. Party leader Nikolai Rybakov, who himself was not allowed to run, is attending the hearing on behalf of the party. The Kremlin-loyal right-wing party Rodina has filed a lawsuit to have Jabloko excluded, accusing it of numerous legal violations, including copyright infringements in campaign materials and opaque financing.
Other Kremlin-loyal parties have also demanded Jabloko’s exclusion from the September vote. Several Duma deputies who support Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine have branded Jabloko members as traitors and agents of the West. Criticism has focused in particular on the fact that not a single war participant appears on Jabloko’s candidate list.
Recently, Kremlin opponents persecuted in Russia as extremists and terrorists have also called from exile abroad for people to vote for the party. This drew criticism within Jabloko itself, as they feared it would provide additional “argumentative fuel” for Kremlin-loyal forces and jeopardize the party’s registration. The nationwide parliamentary and local elections are scheduled for September 18–20.
Source: www.tagesspiegel.de
