Russian opposition figure Nadezhdin confirms fleeing country

Russian opposition figure Boris Nadezhdin confirmed on Friday that he has fled Russia, stating he is currently in France. The veteran politician, 63, announced his departure via his Telegram channel, drawing a parallel to Vladimir Lenin's exile.

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Lenin was 37 years old when he left Russia. He returned (to Russia) 10 years later and did not live to be 54. Now people live longer and events happen faster.

Nadezhdin, who was declared a "foreign agent" a month ago and barred from running in legislative elections, explained his decision was to avoid ending up "behind bars" like fellow opposition figures Alexei Navalny and Lev Shlosberg. He stated that his other option was to "choose the path of Navalny or Shlosberg: stay and end up behind bars."

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The other option was to choose the path of Navalny or (opposition member Lev) Shlosberg: stay and end up behind bars.

He detailed his legal troubles, including being labeled a foreign agent for sharing material deemed extremist, specifically a photograph of the late Alexei Navalny from an old video. Nadezhdin noted that security forces had initially prohibited him from leaving the country, but this restriction disappeared from the virtual portal after a public complaint about its illegality.

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I don't understand why the travel ban was lifted.

"I don't understand why the travel ban was lifted," he commented, adding that he had not been in contact with former presidential administration acquaintances for some time. Nadezhdin and his wife left Russia via Kazakhstan, where they obtained a French visa. "It is better to be free abroad than behind bars in my homeland," he justified his emigration.

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It is better to be free abroad than behind bars in my homeland.