Russian anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin detained, faces charges

Russian anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin has accused authorities of trying to sabotage his parliamentary campaign after being designated a 'foreign agent' and detained by police. Nadezhdin, who was previously barred from running against Vladimir Putin in the 2024 presidential election, is seeking to gather signatures to qualify for September's parliamentary elections.

He was listed as a 'foreign agent' on July 10, a label Moscow applies to individuals perceived as engaging in anti-Russian activities. On July 13, police detained him for questioning regarding a social media post containing a link to allegedly 'extremist' content, which he dismissed as 'ridiculous.' Nadezhdin stated the authorities' actions aim to prevent him from campaigning and voicing criticism on issues like internet restrictions, gasoline shortages, and the war in Ukraine.

Nadezhdin, who has called for an end to the 'senseless fratricidal war' and urged a ceasefire, faces a court hearing on July 17 concerning the extremist content charge. If found guilty, he could face a one-year ban from participating in elections. The liberal Yabloko party, also advocating for a ceasefire, has fielded candidates for the Duma, though its deputy chairman, Maxim Kruglov, was recently jailed for spreading falsehoods about the military.