Dozens arrested in Moscow during a rally supporting an anti-war party in Ukraine

Russian police arrested around 60 people on Monday in Moscow on the sidelines of a gathering in support of a party opposing the war in Ukraine, according to an official from the banned political organization.

Dozens of people had gathered outside the Supreme Court building, awaiting the body’s decision on a lawsuit filed by the Yabloko party (the United Russian Democratic Party) against the decision barring it from participating in the September elections.

The Supreme Court rejected the appeal, in a ruling widely expected.

Security forces kept the party’s supporters away from the court building, as well as journalists who had come to cover the session, including a France Press reporter.

Kirill Goncharov, head of Yabloko’s Moscow branch, told media outlets that around 60 people were arrested after they attempted to approach the court building again.

In a video published by Novaya Gazeta on its website, he stated, “There is a large number of detainees. We see that the police are very tense today, as are court staff.”

He pointed out that some teenagers had been released, emphasizing that Yabloko had not called for the gathering but had merely announced the date of the hearing on the appeal.

In a separate case, on Monday, the party’s deputy chairman, Lev Shlosberg, was sentenced to 11 years and one month in prison for being convicted of “discrediting the armed forces” in statements opposing the Russian attack on Ukraine.

Last week, the Supreme Court issued a ruling banning Yabloko from participating in the elections, thereby endorsing a request filed by a pro-Kremlin nationalist party.

The opposition party had hoped to win over voters, particularly young people, based on its peace-oriented platform, as Ukraine intensified strikes on oil refineries and e-commerce warehouses, negatively impacting the daily lives of citizens in Russia.

In recent years, party members have faced increased scrutiny due to their opposition to the war.