Russia: Putin critic Boris Nadezhdin withdraws election candidacy

Russian opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin has announced his withdrawal from the upcoming parliamentary elections in September, citing a complete exhaustion of legal means for political opposition within Russia. The 63-year-old politician declared on the Telegram messaging service that he has been "silenced" and "pushed out of politics."

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My possibilities to conduct opposition politics in Russia by legal means are exhausted.

Nadezhdin had previously intended to run as an independent candidate in his home constituency of Mytishchi, near Moscow, despite the prevailing political climate. He had gathered the necessary signatures to support his candidacy. However, his political aspirations were significantly hampered after he was classified as a "foreign agent" a week prior to his announcement. This was followed by a brief detention and a subsequent fine.

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I have been silenced and pushed out of politics.

In his statement, Nadezhdin explained that the "foreign agent" designation and the fine rendered his election to the Russian parliament impossible. He expressed his unwillingness to endanger the hundreds of individuals who had supported his campaign. Consequently, he confirmed that the collected signatures would not be submitted to the election commission.

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The classification as 'foreign agent' and the conviction make election to the Russian parliament impossible.

Nadezhdin has been one of the few prominent figures in Russia to openly criticize President Vladimir Putin and the ongoing war in Ukraine. He had previously spoken out against the restrictions on demonstrations protesting increasing internet censorship and the blocking of the popular messaging service Telegram in Russia.

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I am not prepared to endanger all those who support me and participated in my election campaign.