Decision of the Federal Political Committee of Yabloko adopted on 2 December 2025, published on 15 December 2025

Photo: Yabloko members held in custody: Maxim Kruglov (in pre-trial detention since October 2025), Lev Shlosberg (in pre-trial detention since December 2025), Konstantin Smirnov (in pre-trial detention since January 2025), Vladimir Yefimov (in a penal colony settlement since March 2025), Mikhail Afanasyev (in pre-trial detention since April 2022, in a general regime colony since January 2024), and Vasily Neustroyev (in pre-trial detention since June 2023)

As public understanding and support for the need to conclude a ceasefire agreement as soon as possible grows, censorship, restrictions on freedom of information, pressure and political repression against dissenters are intensifying ever more, and intolerance of dissent and fear are being whipped up ever more.

The persecution of political and civic activists, scholars and journalists, artists and writers continues for “fakes” or “discrediting the army”, for donations to organisations that were subsequently declared prohibited, “collaboration with undesirable organisations” or “failure to fulfil the obligations of foreign agents”, and so on. Representatives of the most diverse sections of society are subjected to pressure – in order to instil universal fear and silence all those who disagree with what is happening.

In connection with the elections due in 2026, such pressure is particularly strongly manifested in relation to the Yabloko party – the only party in Russia openly and consistently advocating a ceasefire and peace negotiations – advocating a proposal which today is already shared by the majority of citizens.

Yabloko leaders are subjected to pressure and repression in a wide variety of forms.

Examples of this include the criminal case and pre-trial detention of Yabloko party Deputy Chair Maxim Kruglov, two criminal cases and a sentence in one of them to [420 hours of mandatory] “community service” against Yabloko party Deputy Chair Lev Shlosberg, the criminal case, guilty verdict and placement in a colony of party member Vladimir Yefimov, the criminal case and guilty verdict (a large fine) against Deputy Chair of the Maritime branch of the party Marina Zheleznyakova, criminal cases and pre-trial detention of party members Konstantin Smirnov and Vasily Neustroyev, a six-year prison sentence for party member and journalist from Khakassia Mikhail Afanasyev, and the designation as “extremist material” and banning of a collection of articles by Yabloko party Deputy Chair Boris Vishnevsky published more than ten years ago.

In recent weeks, Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences has begun to be applied to prevent party candidates from standing in elections: administrative cases have been opened against Yabloko party Chair Nikolai Rybakov and Member of the Legislative Assembly of St Petersburg and member of the Party Arbitration Court Olga Shtannikova for allegedly “displaying extremist symbols”.

In many cases, all this does not even comply with current laws. The persecutions are not of a legal nature but politically commissioned, and are directed at politicians who enjoy the trust of citizens and have a well-deserved reputation amongst them. It is obvious that the aim of such actions is to whip up fear, hopelessness and indifference in society on the eve of the 2026 elections to the State Duma and regional parliaments.

Seeking to eliminate even the slightest uncertainty in election results and replacing dialogue with society with the instilling of fear and “learned helplessness”, the authorities are adopting ever newer repressive laws, applying extra-judicial repressive practices, treating any dissent as an offence, and attempting to discredit political opponents as “enemies” and “traitors”.

By persecuting opponents acting by lawful means, suppressing all forms of peaceful political protest, ignoring public opinion and the ripening public discontent, encouraging aggressive nationalist activists and the practices of denunciation, the authorities are creating an extremely dangerous situation.

This leads to the division of society, creates conditions for the growth of far-right sentiments, nationalism and xenophobia, and in the longer term, fascism.

The Yabloko party, which upholds humanistic and centrist values, is categorically opposed to such an approach, and will do everything possible within the legal political sphere to oppose it.

Grigory Yavlinsky,

Chairman of the Federal Political Committee of Yabloko