Press Release, 9.06.2026

Photo: Viktor Shalyakin (left), member of the Bureau of Novgorod Yabloko, and Anton Kostryukov (right) at the Novgorod Regional Court / Photo by Novgorod Yabloko

Anton Kostryukov, a Yabloko member from Veliky Novgorod, will be unable to stand in the elections to the Novgorod Regional Duma. This was announced by the party’s regional branch after the Novgorod Regional Court upheld the ruling holding Anton Kostryukov administratively liable under Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation (“display of extremist symbols”). The decision was handed down by a judge of the Novgorod Regional Court.

The fine imposed on Kostryukov in April of this year is nominal — 1,000 roubles (approximately USD 14) — but the Code of Administrative Offences article on “display of extremist symbols” bars a person found guilty under it from participating in elections for one year.

“Yabloko had planned to nominate Anton Kostryukov from Staraya Russa as a candidate from the party in the elections to the Novgorod Regional Duma. It appears that the authorities are using this method to ‘clear the way’ for Olga Borisova, a candidate from the pro-government United Russia party. Ironically, Borisova herself openly displays extremist symbols on her social media pages — the ‘Kolovrat’ (a Slavic solar symbol associated with far-right and neo-pagan movements in Russia) and the ‘Star of Rus’. Yet law enforcement agencies do not respond. Apparently, extremism legislation does not extend to the Deputy Speaker of the Novgorod Regional Duma and United Russia member,” the Novgorod regional branch of Yabloko declared.

Anton Kostryukov was represented in court by Viktor Shalyakin, a member of the Bureau of Novgorod Yabloko. The regional branch emphasises that the decision of the Novgorod Regional Court will be appealed at cassation instance.

The lawfulness of the decisions reached in both courts in the Kostryukov case raises doubts on several grounds. At the time of the prosecutor’s inspection, Anton Kostryukov’s VKontakte page (the social network on which the politician had allegedly published “extremist symbols”) had already been deleted. Furthermore, when examining the Internet resource, the prosecutor proceeded without witnesses or video recording, and the evidence of Kostryukov’s guilt presented to the court consisted of screenshots purportedly taken from the politician’s page, despite his own statements that he had published no such content.

Moreover, the principal piece of evidence is absent from the case materials — namely, an electronic copy of the VKontakte page — and the social network’s own data is inconsistent: the page identified as Kostryukov’s is linked to an email address, whereas his genuine account was linked to a telephone number. The VK company was unable to confirm who the page featured in the case materials belongs to. There is more: the IP addresses of the posts in the case materials trace to St. Petersburg, whereas Anton lives in Staraya Russa in the Novgorod Region, and the prosecutor identified Kostryukov’s home address as the place where the offence was committed.

“There are too many inconsistencies, contradictions, and unanswered questions that the court failed to address,” Novgorod Yabloko emphasised.

Yabloko takes the view that the so-called “extremism legislation” requires thorough revision and must not be used to settle political scores. It is absolutely impermissible to strip citizens of their right to stand for election on account of a fine under the article on “display of extremist symbols”. Yabloko has submitted a corresponding bill to the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly. Should the Legislative Assembly support the initiative, it will be referred for consideration to the State Duma.