Russia's Supreme Court has barred the country's only officially registered anti-war party from participating in next month's parliamentary elections. The decision is seen as the latest sign of the Kremlin's efforts to silence criticism of the war in Ukraine, which was launched by Vladimir Putin more than four years ago.
The ruling, which sidelines the liberal-leaning Yabloko party, came after the pro-Kremlin nationalist Rodina party filed a lawsuit on August 7 seeking to remove Yabloko from the elections.
On August 11, voters and supporters of the party criticized the Supreme Court's decision to exclude them from the ballot. The move is particularly impactful as recent polls indicated that Yabloko could have won seats in the upcoming parliamentary elections.