Boris Nadezhdin, a Russian anti-war politician who sought to challenge Vladimir Putin in the last presidential election, has fled Russia after being designated a "foreign agent" by Moscow last month.

Nadezhdin, 63, posted a video from Paris standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, confirming his departure from Russia. He was barred from running in the September Duma (parliamentary) elections after the Russian electoral commission ruled that more than 15% of the signatures he submitted were flawed.

The justice ministry labeled him a foreign agent after he announced his intention to run in the elections. He faced accusations of spreading false information about the Russian government and encouraging participation in unauthorized rallies. Additionally, Nadezhdin was charged with "displaying extremist symbols" due to a brief appearance of an image of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a video reposted on his social media accounts in November 2023.

Last week, speaking to BBC Russian from an undisclosed location, Nadezhdin described his political prospects as "vague" after being forced to abandon his parliamentary campaign. He emphasized the importance of electoral participation, stating, "How do you participate in politics? By participating in elections."

Nadezhdin first gained prominence two years ago when he attempted to run for president on an anti-war platform calling for an end to hostilities in Ukraine but was barred due to flawed signatures.

Sources