Russian Opposition Figure Nadezhdin Barred from Duma Elections over Extremism Conviction

A Russian court has barred opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin from running in the September parliamentary elections after convicting him of extremism for sharing a photo of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Nadezhdin, 63, was fined 1,000 rubles (about €11–$13) and will be ineligible for public office for one year Source: Infobae; El Mundo; Euronews.

What happened

Nadezhdin, a former presidential candidate and longtime critic of the Ukraine war, was accused of extremism for posting a link to a live broadcast that included an image of Navalny, whom Russia has designated an extremist Source: La Vanguardia. The court in Dolgoprudny found him guilty under an administrative article. Nadezhdin’s lawyer called the proceedings a “shame for the system” Source: Euronews.

The reaction

Nadezhdin called the trial “a fantastic story” and said the real goal was “to shut me up and prevent me from running for the State Duma” Source: Infobae; Euronews. During the hearing, he suffered a spike in blood pressure and required medical attention, warning he “would die” in a cell Source: El Mundo; Clarin. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, denied any involvement, saying “nothing of this has to do with the Kremlin” Source: Clarin. However, analysts note Nadezhdin had already been labeled a “foreign agent,” which alone blocks candidates under a 2024 law Source: La Vanguardia; Milenio.

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