Statement by the Yabloko Federal Bureau, 4.09.2023

Photo: Yabloko poster: Yabloko. Your vote for peace and freedom!

On the threashold of the single voting day on 10 September, we have to once again state the growing pressure on the candidates of the Yabloko party. A campaign of defamation and bans has been waged against our candidates. The authorities are fighting against the only anti-war party that calls a spade a spade and presents an alternative policy.

Yabloko is denied the printing of newspapers and holding pickets, campaign materials are confiscated and posters are torn down.

Police conducted searches at the home of Ksenia Cherepanova, a candidate for the Novgorod City Duma. Tatyana Zobnina, a candidate for the Yekaterinburg City Duma, was attacked. Another candidate, Elizaveta Kazantseva, received death threats. Two Yabloko candidates for the Novgorod City Duma, Valery Kochnev and Oksana Sergeyeva, were unreasonably accused of displaying extremist symbols.

In the Pskov region, we faced a coordinated political attack to remove Yabloko candidates lists from elections in eight municipal districts. Pseudo-opposition political parties, the regional electoral commission, territorial electoral commissions, the public prosecutor’s office and courts are participating in concert in this attack.

All this is happening against the backdrop of a brutal campaign against other Yabloko members and political activists who oppose the bloodshed.

The party regards these actions as a direct obstruction of the legitimate political work of Yabloko and continues to fight illegal court decisions in the interests of our voters. All the court cases will be brought by Yabloko to the highest courts of the Russian Federation.

Every candidate who today advocates a ceasefire and peace talks with Ukraine is unacceptable to the party in power and the security forces. When honest people unite and oppose the dead-end course of the country’s leadership, this becomes an unbearable irritant for the regime, but a hope for the future for citizens.

We have no illusions about the honesty and competitiveness of these elections. But we appeal to every citizen of Russia, for whom freedom and peace, democracy and humanism are important, to come to the polls and vote for the candidates of the Yabloko party.

Despite the pressure, none of our candidates got scared or withdrew from the elections. They all continue to fight for their beliefs. All these brave and principled people are campaigning so that you have a choice.

Yabloko is the only Russian political party that, under the conditions of a special military operation, consistently takes a political stance of the unconditional value of every human life, and represents a political alternative to the inhuman policies of the authorities, and advocates the peaceful and democratic development of Russia.

Nikolai Rybakov,

Chairman of the Yabloko party