EU sanctions Russian judges over Yabloko election ban

The European Council has imposed restrictive measures on 10 individuals over their involvement in the repression of democratic opposition and what the Council described as the undermining of democracy and the rule of law in Russia.

The sanctions target three judges of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and an official from the Prosecutor General’s Office who were involved in the decision to bar the Yabloko political party from participating in the September 2026 State Duma elections. The decision cited alleged violations involving copyright, extremism and other misconduct.

According to the European Council, Yabloko was the only political party that openly opposed Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

The latest sanctions also target the judge who sentenced Yabloko opposition politician Lev Shlosberg to 11 years and one month in prison for allegedly discrediting the Russian army and spreading “fake news” about Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as the state prosecutor who sought the sentence.

The Council also listed judges involved in proceedings against Maxim Kruglov and Nikolai Rybakov, other prominent figures in Yabloko.

Under the measures, those listed are subject to an asset freeze, while EU citizens and companies are prohibited from making funds, financial assets or economic resources available to them.

With the latest decision, EU restrictive measures related to the situation in Russia now apply to a total of 108 individuals and seven entities.

The European Council established its sanctions framework in March 2024 against those responsible for serious human rights violations or abuses, repression of civil society and democratic opposition, and actions undermining democracy and the rule of law in Russia. The framework was introduced following the death of Alexei Navalny.

On August 19, 2026, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed concern over Yabloko’s exclusion from the September parliamentary elections and Shlosberg’s prison sentence of more than 11 years over anti-war speech. He called on Russian authorities to respect freedom of expression and citizens’ right to participate fully and freely in electoral processes.

In a statement dated September 21 concerning Russia’s September 18–20 State Duma elections and their non-applicability in Ukrainian territory, the EU said Russian authorities had continued to increase what it described as systematic and institutionalised internal and transnational repression aimed at excluding democratic opposition forces from the political process.

The EU said the exclusion of Yabloko candidates from the federal list further limited the choice available to Russian voters, describing the party as one of the remaining opposition forces and the only party with an anti-war platform.

The European Council said the EU remains committed to condemning human rights violations and repression in Russia and expressed concern over what it described as the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in the country, particularly in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

By Vafa Guliyeva