Press Release, 20.01.2026

Photo by Anatoly Zhdanov, Kommersant

On 20 January, Pskov Regional Court upheld Pskov Yabloko’s right to compensation for the unlawful removal of the party’s lists in Opochka and Novorhzev districts. The Ministry of Finance attempted to challenge the district courts’ decisions but lost, and now the Russian Federation has a financial obligation to the party amounting to over 400,000 roubles.

The proceedings have been ongoing since 2023. In their rulings, the courts noted the party’s “persistence in achieving its legal objective”, and the total amount of compensation awarded to Yabloko for removal from elections in six out of seven disputed districts exceeded 1.1 million roubles.

It should be noted that municipal elections were held in Pskov Region in 2023. The registration of Yabloko’s lists of candidates was challenged in court by representatives of the Party of Growth, A Just Russia and the Pensioners’ Party. In support of their claims, they stated that Yabloko’s documents for submission to the electoral commissions had been signed on 16 and 17 July (by the new Chairman of the regional branch, Artur Gaiduk, who had been elected on 24 June), whilst information about him had only been entered by the tax inspectorate into the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (USRLE) on 18 July.

The courts of general jurisdiction supported this position, and in September 2023, before the single voting day, Yabloko appealed to the Supreme Court of Russia, but three months later the Supreme Court refused to consider the complaints on their merits. In 2024, Yabloko then submitted a complaint to the Constitutional Court, stating that the electoral legislation had been misinterpreted by the courts and that Artur Gaiduk had had the right to sign documents a week before the data were entered into the USRLE, having been elected head of the branch.

In March 2025, the Constitutional Court agreed with Yabloko and confirmed that the head of a political organisation becomes such immediately upon election, not from the moment the record of this is entered into the USRLE. The Constitutional Court drew attention to the fact that the interpretation of the law adhered to by the courts of four instances constituted a departure from the requirements of the Constitution and diminished voters’ freedom of expression.

In June 2025, in execution of the Constitutional Court’s ruling, seven applications for compensatory mechanisms were submitted to the district courts of Pskov Region that had previously issued unlawful decisions. As early as 12 August 2025, Opochka District Court and Pushkinogorsky District Court (permanent court sitting in Novorhzev) granted Pskov Yabloko’s claims against the Ministry of Finance for compensation for the cancellation of the registration of the Yabloko lists of candidates.

The judge of Opochka Court awarded Yabloko 218,439 roubles in compensation: 118,439 roubles for election campaign expenses, 50,000 roubles as compensation for violation of the constitutional right to participate in elections, and 50,000 roubles as compensation for persistence in achieving the legal objective of protecting its rights. The judge of Pushkinogorsky District Court, who had heard the case concerning compensation for the unlawful cancellation of the party list’s registration in Novorhzev District, ruled that Pskov Yabloko should be paid 190,152 roubles, including 90,152 roubles as compensation for direct costs incurred by the electoral fund, 50,000 roubles for violation of the constitutional right to participate in elections, and 50,000 roubles as compensation for persistence in achieving the legal objective of protecting its rights.

The courts’ decisions, which came into force today, 20 January 2026, noted that it was reasonable to apply compensatory mechanisms in an amount commensurate with reimbursing the costs associated with reviewing the case, and thereby leading to the actual restoration of the electoral association’s violated rights. Any other approach would effectively encourage ignoring the implementation of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation’s decision. The courts also emphasised that Pskov Yabloko’s legal activity in all court instances was significant, as it had contributed to eliminating unconstitutionality in regulatory provisions and, consequently, to protecting the rights and freedoms of other persons.

In both cases, the courts reduced the compensation for non-pecuniary consequences from 200,000 to 50,000 roubles. However, Pskov Yabloko’s remaining claims were satisfied in full.

It should be noted that the court proceedings concerning compensation for Yabloko’s removal from the 2023 municipal elections relate to seven districts of Pskov Region. In six of them, the district courts have already awarded compensation – everywhere except Pechory District, where proceedings are still ongoing – totalling more than 1 million 116,000 roubles. In particular, Pskov Yabloko’s claims were also granted by Bezhanitsy District Court (permanent court sitting in Loknya), Strugi-Krasnye District Court and Pytalovo District Court.

The Ministry of Finance has filed appeals against all these decisions, but has already lost the court case in two out of the six instances.

Pskov Yabloko’s interests in court are represented by lawyers Vitaly Isakov and Maxim Kopytov.