Russia’s liberal Yabloko party to field 300 candidates for State Duma despite growing government pressure

The Russian liberal opposition party Yabloko is planning to submit a list of 300 candidates for the upcoming State Duma elections, party chairman Nikolay Rybakov told Novaya Gazeta Baltic. The party is counting on a large reserve of candidates to compensate for expected disqualifications.

“Think of it like a football team. There are plenty of people who know how to play. Sure, the first set of players may be sidelined — but there’s a backup set, a youth team, and a whole lot of others ready to take the field,” Rybakov said.

He acknowledged that the authorities routinely use fines and criminal prosecutions to keep party members off the ballot, but he said the list cannot be dismantled entirely.

“Our slogan hasn’t changed since 24 February 2022. Before that, each one of our campaigns had a new name. Now we have one slogan for every election, be it a municipal election or a Duma election: ‘For Peace and Freedom’. And what it means is: sign a ceasefire agreement, immediately,” he added.

A number of Yabloko politicians and activists across Russia have been charged in recent months for “displaying extremist symbols” over social media posts mentioning the late opposition leader Alexey Navalny. The charges bar them from standing in this year’s elections.

As prosecutions over the old posts have mounted, Yabloko members have begun scrubbing their social media, deleting posts, channels, and accounts. Among those who have done so are Kirill Goncharov, head of the party’s Moscow branch; Yegor Tkachenko, a member of the Sverdlovsk branch; and Sergey Gendin, who leads the Saratov branch.

The State Duma elections are scheduled for 18–20 September 2026.