Russia's Supreme Court has barred the Yabloko party from taking part in September's parliamentary elections. Yabloko is the only opposition liberal party that has come out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
A press release from the party said it would appeal the ruling, urging supporters not to lose hope.
Court sided with nationalist rival party
The court ruled in favor of a complaint filed by Rodina, a small nationalist party, which had asked for Yabloko to be excluded from the elections. Rodina argued that Yabloko had received support from undisclosed sources, some of them from the West.
Yabloko leader rejects the accusations
During the hearing, Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov said the accusations were baseless. He described the move as an unconstitutional attack on freedom of thought carried out by his political opponents.
Supporters gather with apples
A few hundred Yabloko supporters, most of them young, attended the court proceedings. Some held apples to show their support for the party, whose name translates to "apple."
