Russia's Central Election Commission has removed Communist Party candidate Nikolai Bondarenko from the ballot following his conviction for displaying “extremist” symbols.

The Central Election Commission barred Communist Party candidate Nikolai Bondarenko from running in Russia’s upcoming State Duma elections on Monday. The decision follows a recent conviction against the former Saratov regional lawmaker for displaying “extremist” symbols in an old social media post. Under Russian election law, individuals convicted of extremism offenses are prohibited from running for office for one year.

Legal Basis for Disqualification

Bondarenko was detained and fined last month regarding a social media post that featured a photograph of the late opposition activist Alexei Navalny. His defense team maintained that the account responsible for the post did not belong to him, but a judge rejected an appeal against the conviction and fine last week. The Communist Party has issued a statement accusing officials of blocking Bondarenko’s candidacy out of fear.

Political Background and Career

Bondarenko gained national prominence as a member of the Saratov regional assembly from 2017 to 2021, where he was known for his opposition to the 2018 pension reforms and his use of theatrical political stunts. He previously attempted to live on a monthly pension of 3,500 rubles to highlight economic issues. In 2022, he was stripped of his regional assembly seat after prosecutors alleged he failed to declare ad revenues and user donations from his YouTube channel.