August 19, 2005
Russia's Supreme Court has overturned a ruling by a lower court which had banned the extremist National Bolshevik Party. The Moscow regional court had ordered the party to disband in June, backing the prosecutor general's claims that the party's literature was in breach of rules governing political parties. The Supreme Court's decision presents a blow to president Putin's administration. The group earned a reputation as a fascist, anti-Semitic and ultra-nationalistic organization, attracting mainly young people, but recently tried to become moderate. The group has been successful in capturing a growing sense of disenchantment among young people in Russia, particularly in Russia's main urban centers.
