Anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin says he is now outside Russia

Nadezhdin gained international attention during Russia's 2024 presidential election when his campaign against Vladimir Putin gathered momentum before electoral authorities barred him from running. He remained one of the few well-known Russian public figures to publicly oppose the war in Ukraine. Russian authorities prohibited Nadezhdin on July 16 from legally leaving the country, less than a week after labeling him a foreign agent. Nadezhdin was also previously detained on July 13 for displaying "extremist symbols" after he shared a video that featured slain Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. These actions, combined with a conviction on an extremism-related administrative charge, barred him from running in the September parliamentary elections.

Analysts suggest the Kremlin initially allowed Nadezhdin to run in the presidential election due to his connections and perceived lack of threat, but the subsequent crackdown on dissent has intensified. Since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities have intensified their crackdown on dissent, leading to the imprisonment of hundreds and the flight of thousands more from the country.