Yabloko chief Rybakov: "Many people in Russia think like us"

Jabloko Chief Rybakov: "Many in Russia Think Like We Do"

The Russian opposition party Jabloko opposes the war in Ukraine and, following a court ruling, is not permitted to participate in the parliamentary elections in September. Party leader Rybakov speaks in an interview about the reasons for this - and about the support the party has in the country.

ARD: How do you feel following the exclusion from the Duma election?

Nikolai Rybakov: On the one hand, today is a completely normal day, and we are living freely in Moscow. On the other hand, every morning I receive news that people have been killed. And I naturally think about what happened to my deputy, Lev Shlosberg, in Pskov: eleven years in prison - because he advocates for peace. I feel like a person around whom so much is happening.

Electoral participation "so that there may be peace"

ARD: What exactly does the ruling mean - that your party is excluded from the Duma election?

Rybakov: It is not only about what this means for Russia, but for the whole world. And I would say that what matters is not only whether Jabloko appears on the ballot or not, but that even now millions of people in Russia have been able to show - first to themselves and then to the whole world - that they want peace and that they are not afraid of tomorrow.

We are fighting to have Jabloko reinstated in the election. We have the appropriate legal means available, and we have candidates in constituencies who are continuing their campaigns. We do not want to participate in the election in order to have deputies in the State Duma, but so that peace may prevail and the deaths of people may be stopped.

"It is exclusively a political decision"

ARD: Would you say that this is a political ruling against Jabloko?

Rybakov: This is a court ruling against a party that advocates for peace. But our opponents admit this quite openly. So yes, it is exclusively a political decision that only like-minded parties that all advocate for the same thing are allowed to appear on the ballot.

"We will not play their games"

ARD: This fight against Jabloko using every possible method, from intimidating supporters to court proceedings - is it driving your politics toward a certain radicalization?

Rybakov: Absolutely not. We will not play their games. We will never become like them, under any circumstances. We will never become aggressive radicals. And we will in no way conduct ourselves as they do.

The parties that are fighting against us, on the other hand, are driving the state toward collapse and making it weaker. Our strength lies in the fact that we call on our supporters to be different from our opponents: to use neither the methods nor the rhetoric of malice.

Of course, aggression or malice toward those who have ruled against us sometimes creeps in. But these are exceptions. We must reduce the level of aggression in society. That is why there will be no radicalization: we will remain exactly as we have always been. The most important thing, in the face of rapid dehumanization, is to remain human oneself.

"Many share our convictions"

ARD: What do you expect for yourself?

Rybakov: That I will remain in Russia and do everything in my power to make Russia a place where people can live without fear. And I am part of that. Because I do not separate my fate from that of our country.

ARD: Did you expect such a level of support during the first and second court cases regarding Yabloko's participation in the State Duma elections?

Rybakov: Well, I live in Russia and have a great deal of contact with people. I travel extensively around the country. In the past, our opponents used to tell us: "Come on! Only one percent supports you!" But when I came to the cities and villages of our country, many people told me that they share our point of view.

They said: "Yes, we currently don't have the opportunity to say and defend the same things that you do. Thank you for doing it." That is why it was clear to me that there are very many people in Russia who think the same way we do – and who share our convictions.

"Escalation could lead to a major war"

ARD: Do you expect Yabloko to face the same fate as, for example, Memorial? That the party will be declared an extremist organization and banned? [Editor's note: Memorial is an organization dedicated to human rights and the historical examination of political oppression. It was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 and was classified as "extremist" and banned in Russia in April.]

Rybakov: In Russia, we understand that decisions can be made that are not based on law and justice. But we, for our part, do everything we can to not violate any laws. And conversely, the laws that protect our work in Russia must also apply to us. How things will proceed in practice, we shall see.

ARD: We are very grateful for the opportunity to speak with you. But are you not concerned that this interview could be used to level new accusations against you? [Editor's note: Germany has been officially classified by the Russian government as an "unfriendly state," and in everyday usage Germany is often referred to as a "hostile state." An interview with a German media outlet could therefore be regarded as a hostile act.]

Rybakov: Our task is to use every opportunity to help people – and not only those in Russia – understand one thing: that the world is heading toward a very dangerous threshold, that the escalation of the current situation could end in a major war that would inevitably lead to the use of nuclear weapons. And then it becomes completely irrelevant who gave what interview to whom.

The interview was conducted by Silke Diettrich, ARD Moscow