Opposition politician who opposed Ukraine war flees Russia

Russian opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin, who openly opposed the war in Ukraine, has fled Russia. He announced his departure in a video posted on Telegram from Paris, standing in front of the Eiffel Tower.

"Good news: I am alive and free. Unfortunately, I am not in Russia for the time being," Nadezhdin said in the video. He added that he needs to gather his thoughts and decide on his next steps.

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Good news: I am alive and free. Unfortunately, I am not in Russia for the time being.

Nadezhdin, 63, was declared a foreign agent by Russia's Justice Ministry in July. This designation followed his announcement that he intended to run for the September parliamentary elections. Authorities accused him of spreading false information about the Russian government and inciting participation in unauthorized protests. The "foreign agent" label bars individuals from running in elections.

Nadezhdin gained wider public attention in 2024 when he sought the presidency with outspoken anti-war views. However, Russia's Central Election Commission blocked his candidacy. The commission cited errors in the supporter cards he collected, stating that over 9,000 of his nearly 96,000 signatures were invalid. The legal limit allows for no more than a five percent rejection rate, which would have been around 5,250 signatures for Nadezhdin. Consequently, the commission determined he had not gathered the required number of verified signatures.

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Now I have to first gather my thoughts and think about what I will do next.