Key facts
- Anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin has been detained by police.
- Nadezhdin was recently designated a "foreign agent" by Russia's justice ministry.
- He attempted to run against Vladimir Putin in the 2024 presidential election but was blocked.
- Nadezhdin was charged with displaying an extremist symbol, according to his lawyer.
Boris Nadezhdin, an anti-war Russian politician who sought to challenge President Vladimir Putin in the 2024 presidential election, announced his detention by police on Monday. Nadezhdin wrote on Telegram that he was being taken to a police station in his hometown of Dolgoprudny, north of Moscow. His lawyer indicated that Nadezhdin faces charges of displaying an extremist symbol, though the specific symbol was not identified. Nadezhdin, a former liberal member of Russia's parliament, had previously been blocked from registering as a presidential candidate due to issues with submitted voter signatures. Last Friday, Russia's justice ministry designated him a "foreign agent," a label widely applied to Kremlin critics, which would have prevented him from participating in upcoming parliamentary elections.