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Elections 2026: Detentions and Other Forms of Pressure

This translation was made by AI

Photo: SOTAvision

In Russia, elections for the ninth convocation of the State Duma will be held from 18 to 20 September. The only party with an anti-war stance, Yabloko, was barred from participating in the elections—a decision taken by the Supreme Court following a claim from the Rodina party. During the appeal hearing by Yabloko on 17 August, police detained more than 85 people outside the Supreme Court building.

Pressure on Yabloko and other politicians with anti-war views began well before the elections themselves. We are gathering the most notable incidents in our chronicle.

Вчера

16:55

On 26 August, the Leningrad Regional Court upheld the refusal of the electoral commission to register the Yabloko party list for the regional Legislative Assembly elections. The party announced that they intend to appeal this decision in the Second Court of Appeal for General Jurisdiction.

Source: Yabloko Press Service

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16:54

The Syktyvkar city administration approved a Communist Party (CPRF) picket for 28 August only after organisers removed the phrase “for fair elections” from the stated aims. The final wording retained support for candidate Oleg Mikhailov, the CPRF federal list, and the demand to reinstate the registration of Nikolai Bondarenko.

Source: RusNews

This post was written by AI. According to the Russian authorities, it was published by an extremist organisation. Sharing it publicly may be unsafe.

16:50

Russia

From 18 to 20 September, elections to the State Duma will be held in Russia. The actions of the authorities show that they fear competition of any kind.

The only party with an anti-war stance—Yabloko—has not been allowed to participate in the elections.

Because of administrative and criminal cases, Yabloko party members are being stripped of their right to run for office. For example, the party’s chair, Nikolai Rybakov, was fined 1,500 roubles (about US$16) for a post featuring a photograph of Alexei Navalny. As a result of this administrative case, he lost his right to be elected for a year.

The party’s deputy chair, Maksim Kruglov, was sentenced to seven years in a penal colony under the article on military “fakes.” Another Yabloko deputy chair, Lev Shlosberg, was sentenced to 11 years and one month in a general regime colony in a case about military “fakes” and discrediting the army.

Yabloko also reported that regional authorities tried to obstruct their preparations for the elections. Registration was denied to candidates or signatures they had collected were challenged.

On 10 August, the Supreme Court removed Yabloko from the elections following a lawsuit filed by the Rodina party. The arguments were absurd—for example, alleged copyright violations because of a photograph of Hiroshima after the US bombing in 1945 and the phrase “Let there always be sunshine.”

On the day of the court hearing, about 500 people came to the Supreme Court to support Yabloko. Afterwards, four people were arrested for several days. During Yabloko’s appeal hearing on 17 August, police detained more than 85 people outside the court.

The Communist Party (CPRF) has also been subjected to pressure. The communist Nikolai Bondarenko was removed from the elections after receiving a 1,000 rouble (about US$11) fine under an article on displaying extremist symbols. The reason was a portrait of Alexei Navalny.

Under the same article, Vladimir Gudomarov, a CPRF member of the Orenburg Region Legislative Assembly, was fined 2,000 roubles (about US$22).