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# Russia's only pro-LGBTQ+, anti-war party barred from elections as LGBTQ+ rights remain under attack
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/russias-only-pro-lgbtq-anti-war-party-barred-from-elections-as-lgbtq-rights-remain-under-attack/
- Published: 2026-09-18T11:41:07.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-18T11:41:07.000Z
- Author: Graham Robson
- Tags: Politics

**Russia**'s only registered anti-war political party has been barred from the country's upcoming legislative elections, a move analysts say highlights the Kremlin's growing intolerance of even limited political dissent as LGBTQ+ rights continue to deteriorate.

**Yabloko**, a pro-LGBTQ+ opposition party that has consistently criticised Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, was excluded from the nationwide party-list ballot on 10 August. The decision prompted protests outside the Supreme Court in Moscow, where around 500 supporters gathered as the ruling was delivered.

According to analysts, more than 85 people were detained by police during a subsequent appeal hearing a week later, underscoring the increasingly restricted environment facing opposition activists in Russia.

**Sasha Slobodov**, a Russia analyst with conflict monitoring organisation **ACLED**, said the exclusion of Yabloko reflects a broader crackdown on what remains of Russia's "systemic opposition".

"As Russia prepares to vote in its first legislative elections since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has further narrowed the already limited space for the country's controlled opposition," Slobodov said.

"Four years into the war, the government is increasingly unwilling to allow even the limited and largely inconsequential forms of dissent once permitted within Russia's systemic opposition."

The move against Yabloko comes amid wider pressure on opposition figures. **Boris Nadezhdin**, who attempted to challenge **Vladimir Putin** in the 2024 presidential election on an anti-war platform, was prevented from standing and later left Russia. Even the **Communist Party**, which has traditionally been allowed to channel protest votes, has reportedly faced growing restrictions.

For LGBTQ+ Russians, the shrinking political space is particularly significant.

Yabloko has long been one of the few legal political parties in Russia willing to publicly defend LGBTQ+ rights. While its support for equality has sometimes generated controversy within Russia's political landscape, the party has repeatedly criticised anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and opposed state-sponsored discrimination.

Its exclusion means that voters supportive of both peace and LGBTQ+ equality will have no registered national party openly representing those views on the ballot.

The development comes after years of escalating restrictions on LGBTQ+ people in Russia. Since the introduction of the country's so-called "gay propaganda" law in 2013, authorities have steadily expanded measures targeting LGBTQ+ visibility and activism.

In recent years, Russia has banned gender-affirming healthcare for many trans people, prohibited legal gender recognition, expanded restrictions on LGBTQ+ representation in media and culture, and designated the international LGBTQ+ movement as an "extremist organisation".

Those measures have led to the closure of community groups, increased police scrutiny of LGBTQ+ venues and events, and growing concerns among human rights organisations about the safety of LGBTQ+ Russians.

While Yabloko has never been a major electoral force, its continued legal existence offered one of the few remaining avenues for public opposition to both the war in Ukraine and anti-LGBTQ+ policies.

Political observers say the party's exclusion sends a clear signal about the direction of Russian politics. "The significance of these cases is that the Kremlin no longer sees a need to preserve even the appearance of political choice," Slobodov said.

As Russia prepares to hold its first parliamentary elections since the invasion of Ukraine, critics argue that the removal of anti-war candidates and parties further undermines the prospect of meaningful political competition.

For LGBTQ+ campaigners, the vote is also a reminder of how closely political freedoms and LGBTQ+ rights are linked. With opposition voices increasingly marginalised and civil society under pressure, many fear there are now fewer opportunities than ever to challenge policies that have left Russia one of the most hostile environments for LGBTQ+ people in Europe.