Russian Police Detain Anti-War Politician Boris Nadezhdin

Russian police detained Boris Nadezhdin, a 63-year-old anti-war politician and former member of parliament, at his home in Dolgoprudny on Monday, July 13, 2026. Authorities charged Nadezhdin with the demonstration of extremist symbols after he reposted a video in November 2023 that briefly featured the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the banned Anti-Corruption Foundation.

The detention occurred three days after the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation designated Nadezhdin as a foreign agent on July 10, accusing him of organizing unauthorized rallies and spreading disinformation. Although he was released from custody after a few hours, he is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, July 17. He faces a potential fine or a 15-day jail term.

These legal actions effectively bar Nadezhdin from running as an independent candidate in the State Duma parliamentary elections scheduled for September 18-20. He had previously been blocked from the 2024 presidential election by the Central Election Commission of Russia. Despite the charges, Nadezhdin stated his intention to continue collecting signatures and fighting for his candidacy, while criticizing the leadership of Vladimir Putin as a path of militarization, isolationism and authoritarianism.