Russia disqualifies candidates ahead of State Duma election
At least 36 previously approved candidates have reportedly been removed from Russia’s parliamentary ballot, with critics warning the process is narrowing electoral competition.
Russian electoral authorities have reportedly disqualified at least 36 candidates ahead of the 18–20 September election for the 450-seat State Duma, according to independent outlet Verstka, cited by France 24. The reported grounds include alleged extremism, copyright violations and holdings in Western companies.
The exclusions include candidates accused of displaying references to Alexei Navalny or logos of banned social-media platforms. Other reported cases involved shares in Apple, Meta and Microsoft, a photograph of Motörhead founder Lemmy Kilmister, and Banksy’s “Girl with a Balloon”.
The election is being contested by 4,436 candidates for the State Duma, alongside more than 10,000 candidates seeking regional parliamentary seats. The reported disqualifications concern candidates who had already been approved to stand, often through parties described as Russia’s “systemic opposition”.
More than half of the candidates sidelined since the start of 2026 reportedly belonged to Yabloko, which opposed the war in Ukraine. The party was excluded from the election in January after initially campaigning on an anti-war platform.
Critics and analysts cited by France 24 say the late exclusions reflect heightened sensitivity to anti-war messaging and a stronger role for Russia’s security establishment in shaping the election. The reported total, legal reasoning and claims of unequal enforcement have not been independently verified in the source material.
