The Russian legal system has taken two significant actions against the Yabloko party, a long-standing liberal political organization. The Supreme Court of Russia officially upheld a decision to remove the party from the upcoming September ballot, effectively barring them from participating in the electoral process.

This judicial action followed closely on the heels of a separate ruling in a Pskov court, which sentenced Lev Shlosberg, the deputy chair of Yabloko, to more than 11 years in a penal colony. The charges against Shlosberg stem from his public calls for a ceasefire regarding Russia's ongoing military campaign in Ukraine.

The combination of the election ban and the imprisonment of a high-ranking party official marks a significant escalation in the pressure placed on opposition figures within the country. While the court proceedings were presented as standard legal enforcement, the timing of these two events has drawn international attention to the shrinking space for political dissent in Russia. The party has not yet announced a formal path forward following these developments, and the state has provided no indication that the electoral ban will be reconsidered.