Russian anti-war politician announces end of campaign, citing Kremlin pressure
Russian opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin announced the end of his State Duma campaign on Sunday, citing pressure by the Kremlin and the risk of prosecution for his family and supporters.
In a post on Telegram, Nadezhdin said that the authorities’ designation of him as a “foreign agent” and his recent prosecution on “extremism” charges had made it impossible for him to participate in the upcoming election. He added that he would transfer the funds he has raised so far to his campaign staff.
“For me, the possibilities for engaging in opposition politics legally in Russia have been exhausted,” he wrote. “I hope only temporarily. I am not prepared to put at risk those who have supported me and taken part in my election campaign — my family, my campaign team, the volunteers who collected signatures, and my supporters.”
He added that he would take time to consider his next steps, saying: “I hope I will remain alive and free.”
On Friday, a court fined Nadezhdin 1,000 rubles (€11) on charges of “displaying extremist symbols.” The case stemmed from a link to a video livestream in which a photograph of Alexey Navalny appeared for about 10 seconds. The ruling bars Nadezhdin from running for the State Duma. He was also barred from leaving the country.
