Press Release, 7.07.2025

Photo: Pskov Yabloko team / Photo by the regional branch of Yabloko

Pskov Yabloko demands compensation from the state for removal of party lists from 2023 elections following the ruling of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation (of 18 March, 2025) which confirmed the removal of Pskov Yabloko lists of candidates from municipal elections in 2023 was unlawful.

The Pskov Yabloko team has assessed the compensation amount for barring candidates from participating in municipal elections in Krasnogrodsk, Loknyna, Novorzev, Pechory, Pytalovo, Opochka and Strugo-Krasnensk districts at 2,414,952 roubles. Seven lawsuits have been filed in district courts of the Pskov region.

The requested compensation amounts in each of the seven districts are as follows:

Krasnogrodsk District — 337,871.5 roubles,

Loknyna District — 346,542.5 roubles,

Novorzev District — 340,152 roubles,

Opochka District — 368,439 roubles,

Pechory District — 348,856 roubles,

Pytalovo District — 332,039 roubles,

Strugo-Krasnensk District — 341,051 roubles.

The amounts were calculated as follows:

– compensation for legal activity: 350,000 roubles (50,000 roubles per district),

– compensation for adverse non-pecuniary consequences (consequences of removal): 1,400,000 roubles (200,000 per district),

– compensation for expenses incurred during electoral campaigns until the moment of removal — 664,952 roubles.

Deputy Chair of Pskov Yabloko Yana Ivanova commented on the Yabloko court claim amount as follows:

“We don’t aim to bankrupt the state, but we are convinced that compensation for constitutional violations should be noticeable. This is a tribute of respect to the country’s Basic Law.

We are convinced that candidates in the party lists would have succeeded in all seven districts of the region where they were illegally removed. For instance, in the Novorzev District our list was headed by the current district head elected in direct elections – Sofia Pugacheva. In Krasnogrodsk, Loknyna and Opochka districts, our representatives had been already working in the assemblies of deputies there.

In Strugo-Krasnensk, the Yabloko faction worked in previous convocations. In Pechory and Pytalovo districts, strong teams of candidates were nominated (in particular, the Pytalovo candidates list was topped by the branch leader – Arthur Gaiduk, whose personal rating in the district is at least 8%).

All single-mandate Yabloko candidates overcame the 5% barrier, and most came second or third in the elections.

It should be noted separately that in the following year, 2024, Pskov Yabloko became the second party in the region [after the ruling party] by number of elected deputies – we received seven mandates.

That is, we and our voters had every reason to achieve at least representation in the assemblies of deputies.”

It should be noted that on 18 March, 2025, the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation confirmed that removal of Pskov Yabloko lists of candidates from municipal elections in 2023 was unlawful.

According to the court ruling, the Pskov regional branch of the party has the right to compensation for the consequences of violation of its constitutional rights.

Pskov Yabloko’s victory ended an almost two-year dispute in which courts of general jurisdiction, as well as the Pskov Regional Electoral Commission, took a deliberately unlawful position denying Yabloko its right to run in the elections.