Russia bars only anti-war party from elections

The court thereby upheld a suit brought by a pro-Kremlin nationalist party, stripping voters opposed to the four-and-a-half-year war in Ukraine of their last option on the ballot."The claims seeking to annul the registration of the federal list of candidates for the State Duma of the ninth convocation, nominated by the Yabloko political party, were granted," judge Vyacheslav Kirillov said.About a hundred supporters, mostly young people, gathered outside the courthouse, chanting "Shame! Shame!" after the ruling was delivered.Addressing them after the hearing, Yabloko leader Nikolay Rybakov said the party would appeal the decision."We have a long way ahead and we have a big and important task: to stop deaths and bring the peace back," he said."Everything we do should be dedicated to that," Rybakov added.With most of President Vladimir Putin's opponents jailed, exiled or dead, Yabloko is the only liberal party still operating in Russia.The party has received the backing of several exiled opposition figures, including Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Both are listed as "extremists" in Russia.A poll conducted earlier this year showed Yabloko ("app...