Press Release, 17.03.2026

Photo: Alexander Shishlov  / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

On 16 March, the website of the Petrogradsky District Court of St.Petersubrg informed on an administrative case against Alexander Shishlov, Coordinator of the Yabloko Federal Political Committee and head of the Yabloko faction in the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly. According to the information, the charge was filed under the article on “displaying extremist symbols” (Article 20.3, Part 1, of the Code of Administrative Offenses).

The exact reason for the case is still unknown. Several media outlets, citing the United Press Service of the St. Petersburg Courts, reported that the administrative charge based on a post on Shishlov’s personal Telegram channel on 13 May, 2023.

If this is indeed the case, then it may be a repost from Yabloko’s federal channel featuring a video of Grigory Yavlinsky’s interview on the YouTube channel Zhivoy Gvozd (Living Nail). The interview specifically mentioned Anna Politkovskaya, Boris Nemtsov, and Alexei Navalny. The post was not accompanied by any text other than the video cover. The cover itself, in addition to a photo of Grigory Yavlinsky, also features images of the programme’s hosts, Alexei Venediktov and Sergei Buntman.

Alexander Shishlov noted that he learned of the administrative case from journalists:

“I don’t know the substance of the charges. I can only say that I, like the Yabloko party, always act in accordance with Russian laws, even if, in our opinion, these laws are unconstitutional.”

It should be noted that this is already the fourth administrative charge for “displaying extremist symbols” against prominent Yabloko members. Thus, on 27 November, 2025, Olga Shtannikova, a member of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly, was fined 1,500 rubles by the Kalininsky District Court of St.Petersburg for a post about the fight against corruption, published in 2013. On 4 December, 2025, the Vyborg District Court of St. Petersburg fined Yabloko Chairman Nikolai Rybakov 1,500 rubles for a post offering condolences in connection with the death of Alexei Navalny in 2024. Later, on 6 February, 2026, Yelena Ivanova, Deputy Chair of the Novgorod branch of the Yabloko party, was fined 2,000 rubles for a post with a photograph of Alexei Navalny, published in 2017.

The fines imposed by the courts on Yabloko members under Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses are symbolic, but the court’s decisions deprive them of the right to participate in elections for one year after the decision comes into force. For Yabloko, it is clear that, as before, this is not about “fighting extremism,” but solely about fulfilling a political imperative to disqualify Yabloko leaders from the upcoming federal and regional elections of 2026.