Boris Nadezhdin has announced his withdrawal from opposition politics in Russia, citing mounting pressure from authorities.

Anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin announced on Sunday that he is ending his involvement in opposition politics. The 63-year-old stated that mounting pressure from Russian authorities has left him with no choice but to withdraw, noting that he no longer has the opportunity to engage in opposition politics legally within the country.

Legal and Administrative Pressure

Nadezhdin’s announcement follows a series of actions by Russian authorities. On Friday, a Moscow region judge fined him 1,000 rubles for displaying alleged “extremist” symbols, specifically for sharing a link to a video featuring the late activist Alexei Navalny. Prior to this, Nadezhdin was designated a “foreign agent” and briefly detained. These measures have effectively barred him from collecting the signatures required to appear on the ballot for the September State Duma elections. Additionally, Nadezhdin reported that authorities have imposed a travel ban on him, which he stated is linked to the reopening of an enforcement proceeding related to a year-old bankruptcy case.

Campaign Withdrawal

Nadezhdin had announced his independent candidacy for the State Duma last month. Following his decision to exit politics, he confirmed that his team would not submit the signatures they had already collected. He stated that he is unwilling to put his family, campaign team, and supporters at risk.