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Russian opposition figure Boris Nadezhdin withdraws from parliamentary elections
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ธ Serbia /Elections & Politics

Russian opposition figure Boris Nadezhdin withdraws from parliamentary elections

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Russian opposition figure Boris Nadezhdin is withdrawing from the September parliamentary elections.
  • He cited being silenced and excluded from politics due to his status as a "foreign agent" and a fine.
  • Nadezhdin was one of the few public critics of President Putin and the war in Ukraine who had not been imprisoned.

Russian opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin has announced his withdrawal from the upcoming September parliamentary elections, stating he has been "silenced and excluded from politics." Nadezhdin, a rare public critic of President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine who had avoided imprisonment, declared his political engagement options in Russia are exhausted.

My possibility to legally engage in opposition politics in Russia is exhausted. I hope this is only temporary

โ€” Boris NadezhdinNadezhdin wrote this on Telegram explaining his withdrawal from the elections.

"I hope this is only temporary," Nadezhdin wrote on Telegram, explaining that electoral law prevents him from running due to his "foreign agent" status and a recent fine. His campaign had already been severely hampered after he was declared a "foreign agent" last week, briefly arrested, and fined 1,000 rubles for allegedly displaying "extremist symbols."

During a chaotic court hearing, Nadezhdin, a former State Duma deputy, decried the "sick state of the country" and claimed the charges were fabricated to prevent his candidacy. He was reportedly prosecuted for sharing an advertisement on Telegram in 2023 for a program hosted by another opposition figure, which briefly featured a photograph of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Navalny and his organizations were declared "extremist" before his death in prison in 2024.

They are silencing me, pushing me out of politics, and my life has become much harder

โ€” Boris NadezhdinNadezhdin wrote this on social media after announcing his withdrawal.

Authorities have increasingly accused individuals of promoting "extremism" for sharing Navalny's statements or even his photographs. "They are silencing me, pushing me out of politics, and my life has become much harder," Nadezhdin stated on social media, thanking his supporters. "Now I have to figure out how to continue living. I hope I will remain alive and free. I am sure that everything will be fine, even if it is not fine right away."

I have to figure out how to continue living. I hope I will remain alive and free. I am sure that everything will be fine, even if it is not fine right away

โ€” Boris NadezhdinNadezhdin expressed his uncertainty about his future after being excluded from politics.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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