Russia's Supreme Court on December 27 upheld the Central Election Commission's decision to bar journalist Yekaterina Duntsova -- who has called for peace in Ukraine -- from running for president in the next election, citing alleged mistakes in her application to register as a candidate.
Video footage of the court session showed Duntsova stating that the mistakes mentioned by the Central Election Commission were mostly technical.
However, Judge Oleg Nefyodov ruled that the Central Election Commission’s decision was right and couldn't be changed.
Duntsova, 40, had filed documents to run in the March 2024 election as an independent candidate, promoting a vision of what she called a "humane" Russia "that's peaceful, friendly, and ready to cooperate with everyone based on the principle of respect."
Duntsova told Current Time earlier that she supported peace talks to end the war in Ukraine.
"Peace negotiations to resolve the special military operation are among the priorites for me," Duntsova said, using the same term the Kremlin uses to describe the war in Ukraine.
"A lot of time will be needed for peace negotiations to bring results. But anything is possible, I believe in it," she said.
The former local legislator from the western town of Rzhev was summoned by prosecutors last month after she called for peace in Ukraine, the release of political prisoners, and democratic reforms in Russia.
President Vladimir Putin is expected to easily win the election amid ongoing state repression against political opponents, civil society, and press freedom. The clampdown has intensified since Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022.
Duntsova has spoken of being "afraid" since announcing her bid to run against Putin. Electricity briefly went out at the venue where her supporters were gathered earlier this month, according to Sota, a Russian news publication covering the opposition, anti-government protests, and human rights issues.
Under constitutional amendments orchestrated by the Kremlin, Putin, 71, is eligible to seek two more six-year terms after his current term expires next year, potentially allowing him to remain in power until 2036.