Key facts
- Nikolai Bondarenko, a Russian Communist Party politician, was fined 1,000 rubles ($12) on August 21.
- The fine was for allegedly displaying "extremist symbols" over a photograph of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
- The conviction could make Bondarenko ineligible to run in upcoming parliamentary elections for one year.
- Bondarenko plans to appeal the decision, claiming the content was edited and not his own creation.
- Similar charges have been used against other politicians, including Boris Nadezhdin, to prevent them from running in elections.
A Russian court in Saratov has fined Nikolai Bondarenko, a politician from the Communist Party (KPRF) and former regional lawmaker, 1,000 rubles ($12) for allegedly displaying "extremist symbols" over a photograph of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The charge, brought under Article 20.3 of Russia’s Administrative Offenses Code, concerns a 2024 post on Bondarenko's Telegram channel. This conviction could render Bondarenko ineligible to stand in elections for one year, potentially barring him from participating in the upcoming parliamentary vote for Russia's State Duma. Bondarenko stated he intends to appeal the decision, arguing that the content was edited and not created by him. Russian authorities have previously used similar charges to prevent other politicians from running in elections. Notably, anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin was also fined under the same article and prevented from participating in a parliamentary election after a video linked from his social media briefly showed a photograph of Navalny. Nadezhdin had gained prominence for challenging President Vladimir Putin on an anti-war platform before being barred from the ballot.