Nadezhdin Says His Political Campaign Is Over Amid Kremlin Pressure

July 19, 2026 Boris Nadezhdin. Telegram/BorisNadezhdin Anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin announced he would end his involvement in opposition politics, saying mounting pressure from the Russian authorities had left him with no choice. Nadezhdin, 63, was fined on Friday for displaying alleged “extremist” symbols. Before that, he was briefly detained and designated a “foreign agent,” measures that bar him from collecting the signatures needed to appear on the ballot in September’s State Duma elections. “They are silencing me, forcing me out of politics and making my life increasingly difficult,” Nadezhdin said on Sunday on the Telegram messaging app. “I no longer have any opportunity to engage in opposition politics legally in Russia. I hope that is only temporary,” he said. On Friday, a Moscow region judge imposed a fine of 1,000 rubles ($12.76) after finding Nadezhdin guilty of sharing a link to a video that contained an image of the late opposition activist Alexei Navalny, who is on the list of Russia’s terrorists and extremists. The day earlier, Nadezhdin said that Russian authorities had banned him from leaving the country after he said in an interview that he and his family were weighing whether to leave Russia due to growing pressure from the authorities. Reports indicated the travel ban stems from the sudden reopening of an old enforcement proceeding linked to Nadezhdin’s year-old bankruptcy case. Nadezhdin announced his election campaign for the State Duma last month as an independent candidate. “I am not willing to put at risk those who support me and took part in the election campaign — my family, my campaign team, the signature collectors and my supporters,” he said on Sunday, adding that his team would not submit the signatures it had already collected. Nadezhdin gained prominence during a failed 2024 presidential bid to unseat President Vladimir Putin on a pro-peace platform, which gained thousands of supporters across Russia. He previously served as an advisor to former Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov in the late 1990s and then as an assistant to former Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko, who is currently deputy first chief of staff in the Kremlin. Nadezhdin was a State Duma lawmaker from 1999 to 2003 and served as a councilman in the Moscow region between 2019 and 2024. Read more about: Boris Nadezhdin , Opposition , Elections Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Nadezhdin's Far East Campaign Head Jailed for ‘LGBT Propaganda’ in Hacked Private Chat Igor Krasnov posted an image of a rainbow flag in the Vladivostok campaign headquarters’ closed Telegram chat which was hacked by security forces. 1 Min read Feature Boris Nadezhdin: 'I Learned from Navalny's Mistakes' The pro-peace presidential hopeful who was blocked from next month's vote told MT he still believes that change in Russia must come through elections. 5 Min read Russian Police Break Up Opposition Meeting Elected opposition figures had gathered to discuss their strategy ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for September. Moscow Opposition Rallies for Fair Elections, 39 Detained Hundreds of protesters rallied in Moscow on Sunday to demand fair elections.