Russia's Supreme Court on Monday annulled the opposition Yabloko party's registration for the country's parliamentary elections, scheduled for September.
The ruling, which sidelines the only officially registered party that opposes Moscow's war in Ukraine, came after the pro-Kremlin nationalist Rodina party filed a lawsuit last Friday, seeking to remove Yabloko from the elections.
Reacting to the Supreme Court decision, Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov said that "there are no grounds at all for removing the party from the elections."
"All the documents had been checked by the Central Election Commission, and the decision to allow us to run was taken unanimously," Rybakov said, recalling that Russia's Justice Ministry had repeatedly probed the party for various violations but found nothing illegal.
He described Rodina's claims as unsubstantiated and groundless.
