Russia maintains election ban on opposition Yabloko, jails deputy head
Russia's Supreme Court has upheld a ruling banning the opposition Yabloko party from participating in the upcoming September parliamentary elections. This decision, confirmed by the party on Monday, means Yabloko, the only registered party opposing the war in Ukraine, will not be on the ballot. The ban was initiated by the pro-Kremlin Rodina party, which accused Yabloko of Western backing and undermining Russia. Concurrently, Yabloko's deputy leader, Lev Shlosberg, was sentenced to over 11 years in prison for allegedly harming the reputation of Russia's armed forces and lying about them, stemming from his opposition to the war. The party stated it would seek a further review of the election ban.