Freedom for Political Prisoners!
Decision by the Federal Political Committee of Yabloko adopted on 6 December 2025, published on 21 January 2026
Photo: Yabloko Chairman Nikolai Rybakov at a single picket “Freedom for all political prisoners!”/Photo by the Yabloko Press Service
Yabloko expresses categorical protest against the intensifying pressure on civil society, the growth of political persecution and the widespread use of repressive practices against people who peacefully defend their convictions and the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution but trampled by the authorities.
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Posted: January 21st, 2026 under Freedom of Speech, Governance, Human Rights, Judiciary, Political Committee Decisions, Без рубрики.
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Grigory Yavlinsky on the common perspective for Russia, Ukraine and Europe
Zhivoi Gvozd YouTube channel, 20.01.2026
Watch the video on YouTube switching into English subtitles
It is only possible to seriously discuss an immediate ceasefire agreement if one can see a perspective for how Russia, Ukraine and Europe will continue to build their relationships. Russia can only be preserved if there is a vision of safe and positive development for the Russian state for decades to come. Ukraine’s statehood and sovereignty can only be preserved if there is an understanding of its future structure — where the country will be heading in fundamentally different geopolitical conditions in the coming years.
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Posted: January 21st, 2026 under Foreign policy, Human Rights, Russia-Eu relations, Russia-Ukraine relations, Russia-US Relations, Без рубрики.
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Court extends Konstantin Smirnov’s detention for another three months
Press Release, 20 January 2026
Photo: Konstantin Smirnov / Photo by Vidsboku media
On 20 January, Ryazan Regional Court extended the detention period for Konstantin Smirnov, the leader of Yabloko in Ryazan, well-known regional journalist and editor-in-chief of the regional media outlet Vidsboku, for another three months, until 30 April 2026.
Smirnov has already been held in a pre-trial detention centre for almost a year on a case concerning so-called “extortion”. He does not admit guilt.
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Posted: January 20th, 2026 under Freedom of Speech, Human Rights, Regional policies and Local Self-Governing, Yabloko's Regional Branches.
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Kirill Goncharov: “The refusal of the Moscow Electoral Commission to appoint Yabloko representatives to territorial electoral commissions is politically motivated”
Press Release, 20 January 2026
Photo: Kirill Goncharov / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service
Kirill Goncharov, Chairman of Moscow Yabloko, has criticised the refusal by the Moscow Electoral Commission to include party representatives in territorial electoral commissions (TECs). Goncharov calls the decision “politically motivated” and emphasises that Moscow Electoral Commission’s arguments “do not stand up to scrutiny”: the refusal is explained either by the lack of experience in electoral commissions of some candidates from Yabloko, or by Yabloko’s absence as a faction in the State Duma.
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Posted: January 20th, 2026 under Elections, Governance, Human Rights, Regional and Local Elections, Regional and Local Elections 2026, State Duma Elections, State Duma Elections 2026, Yabloko's Regional Branches.
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“Total Counteraction”: Anna Cherepanova on how the Mayor and Chairman of Veliky Novgorod’s Duma are blocking Yabloko’s work
Press Release, 19.01.2026
Anna Cherepanova, Yabloko Deputy Chair and MP from Yabloko in the Veliky Novgorod City Duma, has made a statement in which she described in detail how the Novgorod Mayor, Alexander Rozbaum, and the Chairman of the Novgorod Duma, Konstantin Somov, are sabotaging Yabloko’s work. According to Cherepanova, she has to fulfil her duties as an MP and uphold the interests of residents under conditions of “total counteraction”. She provided several telling examples, supporting them with documentation: in each case described, the issue concerned the interests of Novgorod residents, the Novgorod budget, its infrastructure and wellbeing.
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Posted: January 20th, 2026 under Elections, Governance, Human Rights, Political Parties, Regional and Local Elections, Social Policies, YABLOKO against Corruption, YABLOKO Against the Parties of Power, Yabloko's Regional Branches.
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17 years since the murder of Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova: Yabloko lays flowers to the site of tragedy and demands installation of a memorial plaque
Press Release, 19 January 2026
Photo: Portraits of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova / Photo by Moscow Yabloko
19 January 2026 marked 17 years since the murder of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova – prominent leaders of the anti-fascist movement. They were shot dead on Prechistenka Street in Moscow by activists from a far-right extremist organisation. On the anniversary of this tragedy, Yabloko leaders and supporters laid flowers at the site where Markelov and Baburova were killed, after which party Chairman Nikolai Rybakov appealed to the Mayor of Moscow demanding the installation of a memorial plaque on Prechistenka.
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Posted: January 20th, 2026 under Freedom of Speech, Human Rights, YABLOKO Against Nationalism, Extremism and Xenophobia, Yabloko's Regional Branches.
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Yabloko demands Moscow police investigate destruction of Anna Politkovskaya memorial plaque
Press Release, 18 January 2026
Photo by Valeria Rait
Yabloko Party Chairman Nikolai Rybakov addressed Oleg Baranov, the head of the Moscow Depratment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, demanding an investigation into an act of vandalism, requesting video footage from nearby CCTV cameras and opening a criminal case under Article 214 (vandalism) of the Russian Criminal Code. The urgent appeal was sent to the Moscow interior in connection with the destruction in Moscow of the memorial plaque to journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was murdered 20 years ago.
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Posted: January 19th, 2026 under Freedom of Speech, Governance, Human Rights, Yabloko's Regional Branches, Без рубрики.
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Alexei Arbatov Turns 75! Congratulations to Yabloko Federal Political Committee member on his jubilee
Press Release, 17.12.2026
Photo by the Yabloko Press Service
On 17 January, Alexei Georgievich Arbatov, member of the Federal Political Committee of the Yabloko Party, Head of the Centre for International Security at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Historical Sciences and Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, celebrates his 75th birthday. Yabloko Chairman Nikolai Rybakov and Chairman of the Yabloko’s Federal Political Committee Grigory Yavlinsky extend their congratulations on his jubilee.
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Posted: January 19th, 2026 under Greetings.
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Yabloko Chairman in Dagestan Albert Esedov honoured with highest award of the Union of Journalists of Russia
Press Release, 16.01.2026
Photo: Albert Esedov and Magamed Ibragimov / Photo by the Union of Journalists of Russia in Dagestan
On 13 January, Russian Press Day, Albert Esedov, Chairman of Yabloko in Dagestan, member of the board of the Dagestan Regional Branch of the Union of Journalists of Russia (UJR), and renowned journalist in Russia, was presented with one of the Union’s highest awards – the Badge of Honour “For Services”.
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Posted: January 19th, 2026 under Freedom of Speech, Greetings, Human Rights, Yabloko's Regional Branches.
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Yabloko has applied to Russia’s Supreme Court demanding an end to the practices of holding court hearings without public access
Press Release, 14 January 2026
Photo: The Supreme Court of Russia / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service
Nikolai Rybakov, Chair of the Yabloko Party, has sent an appeal to Gennady Lopatin, Director General of the Judicial Department at the Supreme Court of Russia, demanding an analysis of the practices of scheduling court hearings at hours that effectively prevent members of the public and journalists from attending.
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Posted: January 14th, 2026 under Governance, Human Rights, Judiciary, Без рубрики.
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The Yabloko Party to be represented in ten territorial electoral commissions in the Sverdlovsk Region
Press Release, 13.01.2026
Photo by the Yabloko Press Service
The formation of territorial electoral commissions (TECs) in the Sverdlovsk Region for a new five-year term has been completed. The regional branch of the Yabloko Party submitted 12 candidates, of whom ten were approved. All the candidates either hold higher legal education qualifications or have extensive experience working in the electoral system, meaning they are capable not only of preventing electoral violations but also of blocking violations by their fellow electoral commission members.
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Posted: January 14th, 2026 under Elections, Regional and Local Elections, Regional and Local Elections 2026, Yabloko's Regional Branches.
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In 2025, activists and members of Yabloko wrote over 12,000 letters to political prisoners
Press Release, 12 January 2026
Photo: Pre-New Year letter-writing action at Moscow Yabloko / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service
In the beginning of the new year, Yabloko summarises the results of its ongoing campaigns in 2025, including one of the most extensive and long-running – the action of writing letters to political prisoners. Each month, supporters and members of the party in dozens of Russian regions hold this event, regularly sending postcards and letters to support those facing criminal prosecution or imprisonment on politically motivated charges for their words, thoughts and responsible civic stance.
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Posted: January 14th, 2026 under Charity, Freedom of Speech, Human Rights, Judiciary, Overcoming Stalin's Legacy, Yabloko's Regional Branches, Без рубрики.
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The Venezuelan Warning
Grigory Yavlinsky’s web-site, 6.01.2026
Photo: Nicolás Maduro with his wife, accompanied by US security service officers, making their way to court in New York, USA // Photo by XNY/Star Max/GC Images
Why did the US attack Caracas and seize Maduro? The answer to this question is considerably simpler than the theories being published. The entire matter lies in the fact that Venezuela possesses the world’s largest oil reserves — over 300 billion barrels — and Donald Trump wants Venezuelan oil to be controlled by the United States in one way or another, something he has never concealed.
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Posted: January 12th, 2026 under Foreign policy, Governance, Human Rights, Russia-Eu relations, Russia-Ukraine relations, Russia-US Relations, Без рубрики.
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Maritime Territory Yabloko organised a van load of fruit for children at orphanage in the Mysovaya village
Press Release, 28 December 2025
To give a bit of warmth to those who especially need care — that was the goal pursued by Maritime Territory Yabloko party members when they announced a fundraising appeal at the beginning of December for orphaned children in the village of Mysovaya. In the end, thanks to donations from caring people and Yabloko supporters, they managed to raise enough for an entire van load of fruit.
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Posted: December 29th, 2025 under Charity, Yabloko's Regional Branches.
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Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov spoke at a rally in defence of Lake Baikal in Irkutsk
Press Release, 27 December 2025
Photo by the Yabloko Press Service
Yabloko party Chairman Nikolai Rybakov spoke at a rally against the law on clear-cutting at Lake Baikal, which President Vladimir Putin signed on 15 December.
During his speech, Rybakov spoke about the cynicism of the deputies who introduced this law and recalled the investigation by Yabloko’s Anti-Corruption Policy Centre about how parliamentarians wrote the law on logging at Baikal to serve the interests of companies connected to them:
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Posted: December 29th, 2025 under Environmental Policies, Freedom of Speech, Governance, Human Rights, Protection of Environment.
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Yabloko hosts major New Year Charity Fair with NGOs whose beneficiaries learn adaptation through creative work
Press Release, 26.12.2025
Photo by the Yabloko Press Service
On 25 December, a New Year Charity Fair was held at the Yabloko party office in Moscow, featuring various inclusive NGOs whose mission is to help people with different disabilities adapt and socialise.
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Posted: December 28th, 2025 under Charity, Без рубрики.
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On the Challenges of the Time and Yabloko’s Position
Resolution of the Federal Council of Yabloko adopted on 6.12.2025, published on 26.12.2025
The social and political situation in our country and globally is highly complex and dangerous.
The international order that has been in place throughout the 80 post-war years is becoming a thing of the past, leading to a large-scale institutional crisis.
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Posted: December 26th, 2025 under Federal Council meetings, Foreign policy, Freedom of Speech, Governance, Human Rights, Russia-Eu relations, Russia-Ukraine relations.
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“As Deputy Chairman of the Yabloko party, in the system’s view, I cannot be at liberty”: Maxim Kruglov spoke in court
Press Release, 25.12.2025
Photo: Maxim Kruglov at the Moscow City Court hearing on 25 December 2025
On 25 December, the Moscow City Court heard an appeal against the detention of Yabloko Deputy Chairman Maxim Kruglov, who is accused of spreading “fakes” about the army and has been held in a pre-trial detention centre since 2 October. The defence categorically insisted, and not for the first time, that there were no grounds for detention, that the investigation was making critical errors and could not justify its regular demand to keep Kruglov in custody. The prosecutor objected: there were no grounds for changing the preventive measure. Maxim Kruglov chose to deliver a speech at this hearing devoted to the judicial system.
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Posted: December 25th, 2025 under Freedom of Speech, Governance, Human Rights, Judiciary.
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Yabloko expresses support to lecturers, students and graduate students of the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences
Press Release, 24.12.2025
Photo by Alexander Kazakov, Kommersant
It was reported today that Rosobrnadzor [the Federal Service for Supervision in Education and Science] has suspended the licence of the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences, also known as Professor Teodor Shanin’s University. For the years since its foundation in 1995, the university has become one of the best Russian universities for humanities.
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Posted: December 24th, 2025 under Education and Science, Freedom of Speech, Governance, Human Rights, Без рубрики.
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