Press Release, 27.06.2026

Photo: Yabloko candidate Yelena Panova’s election programme in the newspaper Novy Mir (Kurgan Region)

Regional newspapers are refusing to publish the election programme of Yabloko candidates standing in single-mandate constituencies. The programme consists of just 43 words:

FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM!
FOR A LIFE WITHOUT FEAR!

For a ceasefire agreement, diplomacy and the achievement of peace!
Our goal is to prevent nuclear war!

For a Russia free from fear and political repression!

For the preservation of life, respect, dignity and human wellbeing!
Our goal is a prosperous, democratic Russia!

Yabloko candidates in seven regions have already encountered refusals or obstacles in placing the programme: the Perm and Stavropol Territories, the Kaliningrad, Kemerovo, Chelyabinsk and Ulyanovsk Regions, and Yakutia. A variety of reasons have been given — from a lack of free space and formal objections to the layout, to the need to have the programme’s content approved by state bodies. In a number of cases, the reasons for the refusal have not been given in writing.

– In the Kaliningrad Region, the newspaper Strana Kaliningrad suggested that Yabloko candidate Roman Morozov change the text of the programme. The paper’s lawyer sent the candidate a file in which certain words and phrases were highlighted in yellow for removal: “peace” in the slogan “For Peace and Freedom!”, “ceasefire”, “the achievement of peace”, and “political repression”. Once these changes had been made, the newspaper was prepared to publish the programme.

– In the Perm Territory, the editorial office of the newspaper Ogni Kamy refused to place candidate Konstantin Ponomaryov’s programme even on a paid basis. The editorial office stated that, since Yabloko’s party list had been removed from the elections, “placing its campaign materials, including paid publications, is not possible”. Ponomaryov, however, remains a registered candidate and is entitled to run his own election campaign. The editorial office returned the funds paid for the publication.

– In Yakutia, Sakhapechat refused to publish candidate Anatoly Nogovitsyn’s programme until it had received a response from the public prosecutor’s office and Roskomnadzor (the Federal Supervision Agency for Information Technologies and Communications) regarding its content. This concerned free campaign space.

– In the Ulyanovsk Region, Ulyanovskaya Pravda gave candidate Dmitry Gondarenko no written explanation for its refusal. Verbally, representatives of the paper said that the layout containing the programme had allegedly “not been approved by the electoral commission”.

– In the Stavropol Territory, Stavropolskaya Pravda refused Vitaly Zubenko free space, without explanation.

– In the Kemerovo Region, the newspaper Kuzbass refused candidate Yevgeny Smolnikov because of the absence of a notification giving details of who had produced the layout. Paid placement was not available either.

– In the Chelyabinsk Region, the Guberniya publishing house told candidate Yaroslav Shcherbakov that it would not be able to print the material before 31 August, and returned the money paid for placement.

Yabloko considers what is happening to be an attempt to restrict the lawful campaigning of registered candidates and prevent the party’s main slogan — “For Peace and Freedom!” — from being heard during the election campaign.

Yabloko candidates will continue to seek the publication of their campaign materials by lawful means and appeal against unjustified refusals.

It should be noted that 125 Yabloko candidates (https://www.yabloko.ru/okruga-gd-2026 ) continue to take part in the State Duma elections in single-mandate constituencies. The party’s candidates are also continuing to take part in elections to the legislative assemblies of seven regions — the Sverdlovsk, Novgorod, Kaliningrad, Tomsk and Pskov Regions, St. Petersburg and Karelia.