Jul 19, 2026
Former Russian presidential candidate Boris Nadezhdin has announced the end of his State Duma election campaign, declaring that his legal options for engaging in opposition politics in Russia have been “exhausted.” “I’ve been attacked by everyone they could: the Ministry of Justice declared me a foreign agent, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the court declared me a promoter of extremism, the Federal Bailiff Service banned me from traveling abroad, and the Deposit Insurance Agency and the Antimonopoly Service declared me bankrupt. Being declared a foreign agent and guilty of extremism rules out my chances of being elected to the State Duma, according to the election law. My options for legally engaging in opposition politics in Russia have been exhausted. I hope temporarily,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.
The politician also announced that the collected signatures would not be submitted to the electoral commission, and that funds from the campaign account would be used to pay the signature collectors and campaign staff. Nadezhdin thanked everyone who supported him “all these years”—those who “voted, signed, donated, came to court and meetings, read and commented on posts, and simply spoke and wrote kind words in difficult times.” “As long as there are people like you in Russia, hope will never be lost! Now I need to figure out how to move on. I hope I’ll remain alive and free. I’m sure everything will be fine, even if it takes a while!” he concluded.
The decision to halt the campaign followed a series of court rulings against the politician. On July 16, the Dolgoprudny City Court found Nadezhdin guilty of displaying “extremist” symbols (Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) and fined him 1,000 rubles for linking to a 2023 livestream featuring a photo of Alexei Navalny. Once the ruling comes into effect, Nadezhdin will be banned from participating in the elections. “The real goal of what’s happening here is to silence me and prevent me from entering the State Duma. Signatures are being collected for me in four cities in the Moscow region… According to the polls, I’m winning the election,” he testified in court.
Shortly before, on July 10, Nadezhdin was declared a “foreign agent,” and on July 13, law enforcement detained him. The politician attributes his persecution to his refusal to stop collecting signatures for his State Duma candidacy. Before his arrest, he publicly stated that Russia was in trouble, as Vladimir Putin’s 27 years of rule had led to war, drone attacks, internet blockages, gasoline shortages, rising prices, isolation, and authoritarianism. After his arrest, he announced he could leave Russia, but the Federal Bailiff Service banned him from leaving.
Nadezhdin planned to run as an independent candidate in the Mytishchi single-mandate constituency in the Moscow region, where registration required collecting more than 15,000 signatures. In 2024, he attempted to run in the presidential election, but the Central Election Commission denied his registration due to a signature defect, and the party that nominated him, Civil Initiative, was subsequently liquidated by the Supreme Court.
Mafia land is a total dictatorship. It’s one of Earth’s most corrupt countries, the most evil shithole, and the home of ghouls, zombies, and giant cockroaches. It is also a dying shithole. Once it’s gone, Earth will breathe a sigh of relief.
“…Court found Nadezhdin guilty of displaying “extremist” symbols …and fined him 1,000 rubles for linking to a 2023 livestream featuring a photo of Alexei Navalny.”
You can’t make this stuff up…