Russian anti-war party defies ban

 

Erik Norbergh/TT

 

Published 13.32

  

Nikolay Rybakov, leader of the Yabloko party, which means apple in Russian. Photo: Pavel Bednyakov /AP/TT

The Russian anti-war party Yabloko is defying the decision to ban the party from running in the autumn parliamentary elections.

The decision to ban Yabloko, the only party in Russia that opposes the war in Ukraine, was made on Monday by Russia's Supreme Court.

But this week, Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov claimed that the party will participate in the elections.

"We have a plan B," Rybakov said in a video on social media without giving any details.

The appeal filed by the party on Friday is expected to be heard on Monday. Rybakov told Reuters that he has no plans to leave Russia.

Another Russian opposition politician, Putin challenger Boris Nadezhdin, appeared in Paris last week after Russian authorities labeled him a foreign national.